


Tumblr Prompts

by Ninyaaaaaaah



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Laflams, Lams - Freeform, Laurette - Freeform, M/M, Surgery mentions, hamlaf, injury mentions, one shots, prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-11-04 19:44:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 32,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10997703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninyaaaaaaah/pseuds/Ninyaaaaaaah
Summary: Prompts/One Shots from Tumblr





	1. Why Didn't You Say?

**Author's Note:**

> Why Didn’t You Say? - (character) hasn’t been feeling well, making for some uncharacteristic behavior, and their partner(s)/team/friends are much more understanding once they realize why.

_”Mmm, babygirl, I want you so bad…”_

_John murmured in Alex’s ear, body pressed flush against him from behind. His hand snaked down Alex’s front to palm at his cock. His hips rocked gently, back and forth, grinding his erection against Alex’s ass…_

_Alex batted him away._

_“Sorry, John. I’m not in the mood.”_

_Perplexed, John watched Alex enter his own room and shut the door, shutting John out._

_\--_

_“Mon chou! We are going to get thai food for supper. What would you like?”_

_In the face of Alex’s week long bad mood, Laf and John had decided to pick up takeout for dinner and have a quiet night in, hoping they could charm Alex out of whatever funk he’d gotten himself into._

_“Nothing! Just go without me, I’m fine!”_

_Alex’s curt reply through his bedroom door left them both confused._

_“But mon chou… we’ll bring it back here, so you can keep working!”_

_“No! Just go, have fun. I’m fine I promise!”_

_Laf and John exchanged a worried look._

_“Okay. We will see you in a while. Text us if you need anything! We love you!”_

_Laf took John’s hand, wishing Alex would come, but what could they do?_

_“Love you back!”_

_Whatever it was, at least he wasn’t mad at them. Perhaps some time away from cranky Alex would do them some good…_

_Still, worry gnawed at their heels as they left the apartment without him._

 

\--

 

Alex felt like shit.

Plain and simple, no other way to put it. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d kept a meal down. He was alternating sweating buckets and shivering like mad, and the room swam every time he stood up.

He’d slept in his own room the past two nights, claiming he wanted to work late and didn’t want to wake Laf and John, but really not wanting to keep them up as he tossed and turned. They had accepted the fib, it wasn’t that unusual for Alex to stay up far too late working and crash in his own bed or on the couch so he wouldn’t wake the other two up. 

He had hoped to feel better by the weekend, when it would be harder to hide how awful he was feeling. He could tell that Laf and John were starting to worry. 

When Lafayette mentioned thai food on Friday night, Alex almost vomited at the very thought, and had tried desperately to convince them to eat out rather than bring it home. He wasn’t sure if he could stomach smelling it. 

Saturday morning dawned with him feeling even worse, and there was no way, none at all, that he was going to be able to dodge going out for breakfast with Laf and John. They had moved their weekend ritual to Saturday this week because of an art show that John wanted to go to on the Sunday, and skipping their weekend brunch was so sacrilege that Alex didn’t even consider it an option. 

He dragged himself out of bed and dressed slowly, swallowing down nausea and dizziness. He was determined to make it through brunch on sheer willpower and stubbornness alone. He could do it, he had to for his boys. He didn’t want them to worry about him. 

So he pulled himself together, met them in the kitchen and ignored the worried looks they gave him.

“Ready?”

Let’s get this over with.

“Alexander, your shirt is inside out…”

“Alex, your socks don’t match…”

Laf and John both started talking at once.

“What is this the fashion police? Let’s go!”

Alex snarled, yanking the door open and stalking out into the hall. Laf and John scrambled after him. The elevator arrived promptly and Alex got in, followed by Laf and John. The doors closed, the elevator jerked and started to drop…

Laf started to speak…

“Alex, what is wrong with you latel-“

The world rushed in at Alex, all at once. He mumbled “oh god”, heard Laf’s voice as if from very, very far away, and then his vision went black.

 

\--

 

When he came to, Lafayette and John’s faces were about two inches from his. 

He groaned, rubbed a hand over his face. He moved to sit up and Laf held him down.

“No mon chou. You are not well. Why didn’t you say you weren’t feeling good?”

John placed a cool, wet cloth on Alex’s forehead, and it felt like heaven. Alex closed his eyes, sighed gratefully. He hated to show weakness, hated making his boyfriends have to pick up the slack for him, hated making them take care of him…

But he had to admit, this was so much better than suffering alone.

“Didn’t want you to worry.”

Alex muttered. 

“Babe we were worried anyways.”

John chided him gently, and softened it with a kiss to his nose. 

“Sorry.”

Alex knew he’d been a jerk, and he didn’t mean it. His intentions had been good… that counted, right?

“Tsk, no. Don’t be sorry mon chou, just let us in. We want to take care of you when you’re not feeling well. It makes us feel good to know we can help.”

Confirmed: he was an idiot. Alex shook his head a little, opening one eye to look at John and Laf and marvel once again over the miracle that they had chosen him to love.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Alexander if you weren’t so sick I’d smack you for that. Now shut up and be a good patient.”

John scoffed. He and Laf stood, and Alex closed his eyes and gave in, letting them keep him supplied with cool cloths for his forehead and flat ginger ale and fresh blankets when he sweated through the ones he had.


	2. Suffer In Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suffer in Silence - for whatever reason, (character) doesn’t want anyone to know they’re sick, and does everything they can to hide it.
> 
> For @story_of_tonight

Lafayette had been planning this date all week. 

All week he’d been bouncing off the walls with excitement, refusing to breathe a word of what he was planning to John, texting him incessantly when they weren’t together, and frankly driving John crazy in the most adorable of ways. 

So when John started to feel a cold coming on, he fought it down and fought it back. They weren’t living together ( _yet_ , a hopeful voice whispered in the back of John’s mind) which certainly made it easier to hide. 

By the time Friday night rolled around, he wanted nothing more than to curl up at home in his pjs and be miserable. He was congested, and his throat hurt, and he couldn’t stop sneezing and coughing, but Lafeyette was so excited about their date, and John really did want to see him, so…

He bundled himself up in extra layers, wound a tight scarf around his neck, pulled on a hat and gloves and stuffed his pockets with Kleenex and cough drops. 

He met Lafayette at Central Park. They rented skates, and skated hand in hand. John tried to discreetly wipe his nose from time to time. He wanted to enjoy himself, he really did, but he was too distracted trying to keep Laf from noticing that he was sick. 

Lafayette skated ahead and turned, holding both of John’s mittened hands in his own, smiling brightly. John grinned back, Laf’s smile always made him feel better. 

Then Laf stopped, and John skated right into him. Laf caught him, arms wrapping tight around his middle, and they flew to the edge of the pond and toppled over backwards into the snow. Lafayette laughed, smiling up at John, and John couldn’t help but laugh too.

“Oh! Mon cher you are shivering!”

Lafayette rubbed his hands vigorously up and down John’s arms. 

“Why didn’t you say you were cold? Come, let’s go get hot chocolate and get warmed up before dinner.”

John tried to protest, but Lafayette was stronger and sat up, holding him close. 

“I’m fine, really!”

He insisted, getting back to his feet. Lafayette joined him, taking his hand and pressing a kiss to his forehead. He pulled back, frowning in alarm and staring at John, and John knew he was busted even before a volley of sneezes overtook him and he had to bury his face in his arm, eyes watering. 

“John Laurens! You are not fine! You have a fever! I’m taking you home right now!”

Lafayette all but dragged John back to the skate shop to return their rentals and dragged him onto the subway back to John’s apartment. John shivered, wrapping his arms around himself, and tried not to succumb to misery as Lafayette dragged him home. 

“Now, you get in a hot shower and some pajamas and I will be right back. When I return I want to see you on your couch with a blanket!”

Lafayette ordered. John blinked. 

“You’re coming back?”

“Of course! I’m not leaving you alone when you are taking such poor care of yourself! Now get in the shower!”

John nodded, too surprised to protest, and hurried to do as Lafayette ordered. He showered – the heat and steam just making him cough and have to blow his nose more. He pulled on a soft, worn pair of track pants and a t-shirt, and curled up on the couch under his comforter, as ordered. 

Lafayette returned moments later, laden down with shopping bags. 

“Now. John Laurens you should have told me you were sick!”

Lafayette ranted at him from the kitchen, bustling about where John could hear but not see him.

“Pick out a movie and we will watch here.”

He called. John obeyed, firing up Netflix and scrolling through the movies thoughtfully. He felt bad making Lafayette go to all this trouble, felt bad for ruining their evening. Lafayette had put so much thought and effort into planning this date and here he was instead, stuck caring for John’s sorry, sick ass… 

“John?”

John blinked, startled out of his thoughts. Lafayette stood in front of him, holding a tray that he set down on the coffee table, hot water bottle tucked under his arm. 

“John, what’s wrong?”

Lafayette handed John the hot water bottle and lifted the blanket so he could slide in underneath and cuddle up to John.

“I’m sorry I ruined our evening…”

John mumbled. He sank into Lafayette’s embrace, quite honestly relieved to be home and warm, but he felt so bad...

“Oh John, no, don’t be sorry. You know what the most important part of tonight was?”

Lafayette cupped John’s chin in his hand and lifted, forcing John to look him in the eye. 

“No, what?”

He’d never know now, obviously, since he’d ruined the whole thing.

Lafayette kissed his nose.

“Being with you, little one.”

Lafayette wrapped his arms around John and pulled him close, and John gave in, snuggling against him and laying his head on Lafayette’s chest.

“Now, I made some hot chocolate, and I have chicken soup… store bought, unfortunately, but there was no time, see you should have told me and I would have made some from scratch and brought it over, it is so much better that way… and I got you some medicine, and Kleenex, and we will stay right here all night until you are ready for bed. Now, what are we watching?”

John smiled, closing his eyes for a moment and just enjoying the sound of Lafayette’s voice as he fussed over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like friends:
> 
> @ninyaaaaaaah (tumblr)


	3. You're All I Want, You're All I Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for @story_of_tonight
> 
> prompt: "Please come get me"

“Why don’t you just call him? You’re miserable, Laurens. You’re not having fun…”

Eliza gave John a one-armed hug, and he grinned lopsidedly at her. He wasn’t drunk, persay. But he wasn’t quite sober either. He wasn’t upset, persay. But he wasn’t quite in a good mood, either. He wasn’t mad at Laf, persay. But he wasn’t quite happy with him either-

Scratch that.

He just missed him, now.

Christmas was coming up, and it was supposed to be the happiest time of year, where families came together to express their love… blah, blah, blah. John had gotten into a screaming match on the phone with his father earlier this afternoon. Henry wanted John home for Christmas. John didn’t want to go. 

Then, the cherry on top, when he’d told Lafayette about their phone call, Laf had suggested they go. 

John had stormed out, and now here he was, at a different party than Laf, three drinks in and feeling decidedly miserable. 

He was surrounded by friends and strangers, laughing and dancing, and for a while he’d been able to enjoy himself, but now he was tired, and he was tipsy, and the couples dancing in the living room really just made him want Lafayette here. 

“Yeah… you’re right Eliza. I, you know what… I’m gonna go.”

John stood up, downed the rest of his beer, and smiled bravely at Eliza.

“Okay. Text me when you get home?”

John nodded. Eliza was the type of friend who really meant it when she said that, and would call at three in the morning if she hadn’t received said text. 

He pulled on his coat and scarf and rode the elevator down to the street. It was snowing, those perfect, fat, lazy snowflakes that belonged on a Christmas card, and despite his bad mood, John couldn’t help but stick his tongue out to catch one. 

He pulled out his phone and hesitated, thumb over Lafayette’s name. What if Laf was still angry? What if he was having tons of fun without John and didn’t want to talk to him? 

“Fuck it.”

He hit ‘call’ before he could talk himself out of it. Brought the phone to his ear. Bounced on the balls of his feet while he listened to it ring, and ring, and ring. 

“John! Mon cher I-“

Lafayette’s words tripped over themselves in a rush as soon as he picked up, and suddenly John was ten times more exhausted.

“Laf shut up a sec.”

Mercifully, Laf did.

“I’m leaving Angelica’s place. Going to the café down the street. Please come get me?”

He hung up and started walking. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he ignored it until he arrived at the café. He ordered a white hot chocolate to go, and perched on a stool by the window. He checked his phone, one missed call from Laf, and a text:

On my way.

John put his phone away, and stared at nothing, deep in thought until the bell above the door chimed, and there was Lafayette, dusted with snowflakes and handsome enough to shatter John’s heart with a smile. He stopped three steps away and opened his arms. 

John stood, and folded himself into Lafayette’s embrace, closing his eyes. 

“I’m so sorry.”

He whispered. 

“Me too, mon cher. I was trying to help, but I overstepped.”

Lafayette dropped a kiss on John’s forehead, and John smiled, thinking for the hundredth, thousandth time that he didn’t deserve this amazing man.

“I shouldn’t have walked out on you. Let’s go home?”

They could talk more about it later. Right now, all John wanted was to be curled up in bed with Lafayette holding him close. The rest of the world could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: @ninyaaaaaaah 
> 
> I like friends :)


	4. Hold Me Up When I'm Not Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Look at me - just breathe, ok?"
> 
> For @story_of_tonight

John was lounging on the living room floor, working on a project, Pokey tucked under one arm. He hummed quietly to himself, enjoying the warm spring breeze from the open balcony door over his bare torso. 

He could hear Lafayette rummaging around in the bathroom, but wasn’t paying it too much attention. Laf had a job interview this morning, for an administrative assistant position of all things. He tended to change jobs like most people changed their underwear, and they tended to be more “fun” jobs. Administrative assistant at an insurance company. 

It sounded tedious and unglamorous to John, and he wasn’t sure why Lafayette wanted it. He certainly didn’t need to work. 

He heard a crash, and then an eruption of angry French that John would have bet money was curse words made him sit up. 

“Laf?”

He called. No answer, just more angry French. 

With a sigh, John saved his work and closed his laptop lid. He stood up and poked his head into the bathroom. 

His eyes watered at the overpowering scent of Lafayette’s favourite cologne – the bottle now smashed on the floor, broken glass everywhere. 

In fact, there was just _stuff_ everywhere. 

“Laf, what’s wrong? Be careful there’s glass.”

John didn’t even know where to start, between the broken glass on the floor and the products _everywhere_ and Lafayette looking more frantic than John had ever seen him. 

“I broke my cologne, and I couldn’t find the toothpaste, and now I cannot find my watch, and I’m going to be late-“

John reached into the bathroom and snagged Lafayette’s wrist, tugging at him.

“Come out of there, at least let’s clean up the glass?”

“John I don’t have time!”

Lafayette tried to pull away, and John tugged harder.

“Laf your Rolex is out here, and you’re going to cut yourself on the glass if you’re not careful and then you’ll really be late. Just come out for a sec, please?”

Lafayette still wasn’t listening. John huffed, and tried a different tactic.

“Laf, babe, please for a second? I really need you…”

He put all his love and pleading into his voice, big brown eyes fixed on Laf, hand still tugging his wrist. 

It worked like a charm. 

Lafayette’s head whipped around and he sidestepped the glass to come out into the hallway. John reached around him and shut the bathroom door.

“Little one, what is it, what is wrong?”

John smiled, and caught Lafayette’s face in his hands, stilling his movements.

“Nothing, my love. You’re stressing yourself out. Look at me – just breathe, okay.”

He brushed his thumbs over Lafayette’s cheeks, and waited while Laf took a few deep breaths. He stretched up and kissed him, slow and tender. 

“What’s got you so stressed, Laf? You’re going to do great, don’t worry.”

Lafayette sighed, and wrapped his arms around John, pulling him close. 

“Thank you, mon cher. I just… you are so talented, and Alexander is so smart, and sometimes, I would like to feel more than just a pretty face, you know?”

John tried hard not to stare at Laf like he had two heads. He slid his arms around him and kissed his jaw, holding him close. 

“You are so, so much more than that, Laf.”

Of the three of them, John was probably the worst with words, but this was his Lafayette, doubting himself, and so he had to try.

“Alex and I, we love you, we _need_ you, so much. You’re so smart it blows my mind sometimes. How else would you have gotten your degree? And you’re fluent in two languages, and you’re so good at all the different jobs you try. You’re funny, and brave, and you’re… Laf you’re so strong, and so incredible. You don’t even know.”

John shrugged helplessly. He didn’t have Alex’s eloquence, but he had his own honest feelings, and hopefully that was enough to restore Lafayette’s confidence.

Lafayette smiled, and pulled John into a deeper kiss. 

“Thank you, my love.”

He whispered. 

John grinned and pulled back, fingers going to the buttons of Lafayette’s dress shirt and unbuttoning it.

“Hey! John Laurens! We do not have time for sex right now, I have to go dazzle these people with my intelligence!”

Lafayette swatted at John’s hands, and John laughed.

“I’m fixing your buttons you dumbass, unless you’d rather dazzle them with your inability to put on a shirt?”

Laf threw up his hands in defeat, and with John’s help, made it out the door on time, Rolex on his wrist, shirt, tie, and jacket on correctly, with two shoes on his feet and an unrumpled resume in his hand. 

John glanced at his computer, and gave up on getting anything else done on his project today. 

Instead, he cleaned up the bathroom, leaving the window open to air out. Then, he pocketed his wallet, and headed out to replace Lafayette’s cologne.


	5. We're Better If We Weather It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laflams, "I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere"
> 
> For a sweet anon who gave me life by sending me a request on tumblr <3
> 
> (follow me! @ninyaaaaaah)

_  
Alexander was alone._

_The wind whipped so hard it stole the breath from his lungs. It threatened to take the skin from his bones and the heart from his chest along with it._

_All around him, buildings gave up their fight, piece by piece._

_Debris flew through the air, the sky was dark and green. Rain lashed at the world with a rage that would obliterate everything in its path._

_And in the middle of it all – Alexander, crying and screaming his throat raw for help. Alexander, terrified and sure he was about to die. Alexander, with no safe place to hide._

_Alexander, alone.  
_

-

Lafayette was yanked from sleep by a jagged cry he knew all too well. 

He sat bolt upright in bed, swimming out of the fluffy white duvet and scrambling blindly for the bedside lamp. 

“Shh, shh, Alex I’ve got you babygirl.”

He heard John’s voice in the darkness, heard Alex’s whimper of terror as another deep roll of thunder shook the night apart, on and on and on. 

Lafayette switched the lamp on and rolled over his eyes meeting John’s over the top of Alex’s head.

“We left the window open…”

John whispered. 

Lightning streaked the sky. 

A ragged, helpless sob ripped from Alex’s throat, and tore straight through Lafayette’s heart. 

“Shit, I’ll get it. Mon chou, we are here.”

Lafayette slid out of bed and went to the window, the damp wind billowing the sheer white curtains out into the room. Rain lashed the building. A second clap of thunder shook the whole world. 

“I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere, I’ve got you babygirl.”

Lafayette heard John’s voice as if in a dream. 

He closed the window, shutting out some of the sounds of the storm, locking it out of their bedroom as much as he could. 

It wasn’t enough.

Lightning and thunder raged across the sky, almost as though the sky was trying to outdo itself with sound and light both. 

And behind him, sheltered in John’s arms, with John’s voice whispering non-stop in his ear, the sky took Alexander Hamilton, the strongest man Lafayette knew, and shook him into a thousand fragile pieces.

“I’ll be right back, John. Stay with our Alex?”

Lafayette turned back inwards, gaze landing again on John and Alex in the middle of their huge bed, dwarfed by the magnitude of Alex’s fear. They were tangled together so tight it looked as though they’d never break apart. Alex’s head was barely visible beneath the blankets and John’s protecting embrace. 

But the room was freezing now, and Lafayette could see Alexander shaking, and felt John’s worried gaze track him as he moved through the room. 

“Okay. Don’t be long, Laf?”

John kissed Alex’s head, and Lafayette nodded, and left the room before he couldn’t.

In the kitchen, he put the kettle on to boil and set a hot water bottle on the counter, ready to be filled. 

He stepped to the window, staring out at the brilliant display across the sky. There was nothing in the world that was more important to Lafayette than the safety and happiness of John and Alex. There was nothing, _nothing_ he wouldn’t do to ensure that they were well. 

The sky rendered him helpless.

The thought of things happening in Alex’s life that caused him so much pain and fear that it still rendered him completely undone, and the fact that Lafayette hadn’t been there to save him from it, to hold him through it, and that no amount of love and care could fix it now…

It tore out his heart. 

The whistle of the kettle brought him out of his head. 

Carefully, Lafayette filled the hot water bottle (he knew he wasn’t supposed to fill it with boiling water, but he never managed to catch the kettle right before it boiled, and nothing bad had happened yet, so he continued to do it) and tucked it into its knit cozy. That done, he returned to the bedroom and slid back under the covers. 

“Alexander? Mon chou? I’m here. I brought you a hot water bottle. I’m going to touch you now, and give it to you, okay?”

The last thing he wanted was to startle Alex right now by touching him without warning. 

Alex whimpered, and Lafayette slid close, tucking the hot water bottle in between Alex and John’s stomachs, and tugging the blankets up to their chins. He tucked himself tight against Alex’s back, reached across him to stroke John’s shoulder, then wrapped his arms around Alex. 

“I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere. John’s here too. We love you so much. You are safe here, I promise.”

Lafayette whispered. 

They weathered the storm like that, just like every one they had since they’d been together, and every one they would to come. 

Lafayette only wished it could ever be enough.


	6. Together We Can Make Everything Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO.
> 
> This is my first attempt at writing Little Space John. 
> 
> I wasn't sure if I could do it, but, well... here it is.
> 
> Prompt: "Shhh, c'mere" from a wonderful Anon on Tumblr <3

Alexander tossed his keys in the bowl by the door, kicked off his shoes, and set down his laptop bag. Home, finally, after a long day at work. John had worked from home today because he had some family stuff to attend to as well, and Laf had texted to say he was running a little behind. 

“John! I’m home!”

Alex called. He tossed hung up his jacket and stretched, glad to be home. 

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Alex stopped. Of all the greetings he had ever received from Lafayette or John over the years, that was a new one.

“John?”

Alex called, confusion creasing his brow.

“NOOOO! PAPI DON’T COME IN!”

John screeched back. 

Alex blinked. He made his way into the bedroom, where the en-suite bathroom door was closed. 

“John? Are you okay?”

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and quietly dialed Lafayette. 

“YOU CAN’T COME IN!!!!”

John shrieked through the door. Alex bit his lip, concerned. Lafayette was so much better at calming John down when he was little. 

“Mon chou? I texted you that I would be late, remember?”

“Laf we need you. John’s locked himself in the bathroom, I don’t know what’s wrong…”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! DON’T TELL DADDY!!!!!!!!!”

John howled. 

Alex heard Laf’s sharp intake of breath on the other end of the phone.

“I’ll get a cab.”

The line went dead. 

Alex went to the bathroom door, praying the John hadn’t locked it, and knocked softly. 

“John? I’m going to come in, okay? Whatever it is, I promise not to be mad at you?”

“Pinky promise?”

A small voice queried back. 

Alex’s heart broke. 

“You have to let me in to do the pinky part of the promising.”

“Okay…”

Alex sighed in relief. He didn’t want to upset John further by entering the bathroom without his permission, but he would have if he’d had to. He twisted the knob and opened the door, stepping into the bathroom. 

There was water everywhere. 

Alex took a step into the room, and his feet went out from under him, and he landed flat on his back with a thud before he even realized what happened.

“PAPI I’M SORRY!”

John wailed, loud sobs filling the room. 

Alex pushed himself up, sitting in a puddle on the floor. There was also, he realized belatedly, bubble bath everywhere. The bathtub had been filled to the point of overflowing, bubbles everywhere, shampoo bottles knocked helter skelter across the floor. 

John was sitting naked in the center of the mess, clinging to a very, very wet Pokey.

“It’s okay John, it’s okay, I’m alright.”

“PAPI DON’T LOOK!”

John wailed, twisting, trying to hide Pokey from view. 

It all clicked into place.

“John? Honey?”

Alex reached out, touching John’s shoulder gently. He winced when John flinched, and rubbed his back reassuringly. The water had thoroughly soaked through his work clothes, but that didn’t matter. 

“Are you scared that Daddy and I will be mad because Pokey got wet?”

He edged closer to John slowly, hand still rubbing John’s shoulder, keeping his voice low and gentle.

“Y-Y-Y-YES!”

“Shhh, c’mere. I’m not mad, see? I promised, remember? And if you give me your pinky, I can pinky promise.”

Shyly, John twisted back around, and offered Alex his pinky finger. 

Alex hooked his pinky with John’s, squeezed reassuringly, and brought the linked fingers to his lips for a soft kiss. He let go, and opened his arms.

John flew into the embrace, Pokey between them. The waterlogged turtle drenched Alex’s front with a flood of water as he was squashed between their two bodies, but Alex didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around John and kissed his temple, holding him close.

“I-I-I’m sorry Papi! You and Daddy told me so many times that Pokey can’t come in the bath, but you always give me a bath when I’m sad or scared, and I was sad and scared, and you weren’t here, so I tried to do it myself and I didn’t want to be alone so I brought Pokey with me and now he’s all wet!”

John’s words tumbled out in a rush, ending in a heartrending wail. 

Alex held him close, rubbing his back, rocking him gently back and forth. 

“What happened to make you so upset?”

“Father called.”

John’s voice went flat and sullen. 

Alex swallowed the surge of hot anger. Now wasn’t the time. It was never the time. It was why Alex hadn’t met John’s father yet. He wasn’t sure he could ever forgive the person who had caused his love so much distress.

“Oh, love. I’m sorry.”

Alex murmured. 

“Not your fault, Papi.”

John mumbled back, rubbing his face against John’s chest. 

“We can dry Pokey off, it’ll be okay.”

Alex carefully removed the sodden turtle from between their bodies, and reached behind himself to place him on the counter. 

“O-okay. And… Papi that’s not the only thing. I wanted the jets, and I wanted bubbles, and I forgot that you can’t have both at the same time and now the bubbles are _everywhere_ and I couldn’t make them stop.”

John’s voice was very small now, punctuated with sniffles and hiccupping breaths. 

“It’s okay baby boy. We can fix it. Want to help?”

Alex pulled back enough to look at John’s face, smiling softly when John turned his head enough to peek up at him and nod.

“Yes Papi. I want to be a good boy, want to help. Papi’s good boy.”

“That’s right. You’re my good boy, Jacky. How about we get Pokey a towel to start, so he can dry off?”

“Okay, yeah, he’ll like that.”

John nodded, so Alex scooted on his butt across the slippery floor –enticing a small, watery giggle from John- and grabbed two fluffy white towels from the stack on in the cupboard. He scooted back over to Pokey, wrapped him up in the first one and squeezed as much water as he could out of the stuffed turtle. He dropped that towel on the floor and wrapped Pokey up tight in the second towel, leaving his head sticking out, and put him back on the counter.

“There, he can watch while he gets dry, okay? What do you say we play a game?”

\--

So that’s how Lafayette found them when he rushed into the apartment in a panic. Zooming back and forth across the bathroom floor on their hands and knees, pushing towels in front of them, and laughing like mad. 

“What happened here?”

He asked gently, smiling at the sight of his two favourite boys having a great time. He had rushed home, but it looked like Alex had gotten the situation well in hand already. 

He watched as John dropped his towel with a small squeal of distress, and flung himself into Alex’s lap, hiding his face. He whispered something that Laf didn’t catch, and Alex nodded, kissing the side of John’s head.

“Laf, you have to pinky promise me you won’t be mad at John.”

Alex reached towards him, pinky outstretched.

“Careful, the floor is still slippery.”

Lafayette frowned, and walked carefully over, hooking his pinky with Alex’s and giving it a squeeze.

“There. Jack? Laf pinky promised me. Laf, John was trying to make himself feel better after talking to his father this afternoon, so he tried to make himself a bubble bath, and brought Pokey in the bath too because he didn’t want to be alone. But its okay, we’re cleaning it up. John is helping me because he’s a good boy.”

Alex explained. Lafayette nodded, his heart melting, and he knelt on the floor alongside John and Alex just in time to hear Alex whisper in John’s ear-

“The very best boy.”


	7. I'd Take Your Pain For Myself If I Could

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's okay to cry"
> 
> Tumblr prompt from a sweet anon <3
> 
> (a note; this is not set in poly gay trio verse. And it's short I'm sorry T_T)

John hung up the phone, his expression flat, eyes dead.

He tossed it on the counter and walked into the living room, where Laf lay stretched out on the floor, watching something on TV. 

John flopped heavily on the couch, and pressed his face into the cushion. 

“John?”

Lafayette’s voice, soft with concern. The TV clicked off. He felt Laf gently touch his shoulder. 

“What’s going on?”

John turned his head, laying it on the cushion, face to face with Lafayette’s worried expression. Lafayette, his light, his life, the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to him. 

John shook his head slightly.

Lafayette pursed his lips, and shook his head back.

“No, baby, please don’t shut me out?”

He stroked the backs of his fingers over John’s cheek, and John had to close his eyes and swallow hard to fight back tears.

“Martha… is engaged.”

He whispered. 

Lafayette cocked his head.

“But… this is a good thing, no?”

John nodded, eyes still closed.

“Yes… it is. God, of course it is. I’m thrilled for her.”

He choked out.

“So then… why are you sad, my love?”

Lafayette’s hand returned to John’s shoulder, stroking soft circles. 

“I… my father called. To gloat. To rub it in my face that I’ll never have any of it. The nice wedding. The acceptance of my family. His love and approval. And it hurts, god dammit. You’re the best thing in my _life_ Lafayette, how can this possibly be so wrong?”

He gritted his teeth, fought back the tears born of rejection and pain and longing. 

“It’s okay to cry, John. It’s not good to keep it all inside.”

Lafayette spoke so softly, so sweetly, that it shattered John’s armour. He let out a choked whimper, turned his face into the cushion and sobbed for everything he couldn’t have and wanted so desperately; his father’s love and approval, the chance to celebrate his love for Lafayette without worrying about what anyone thought, all of it. 

Lafayette covered his back in a hug and held on tight, kissing just behind his ear.

“I know it hurts, my love. I know.”

For now, that was enough. 

Tomorrow, John would find strength to carry on. Tomorrow, the happiness he’d carved with Lafayette would be enough again. Tomorrow, he would be happy for his sister and brush off his father.

Tomorrow.

Tonight – he just accepted that it hurt, and he let it hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on Tumblr: @ninyaaaaaaah


	8. Please Don't Go Too Far Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr prompt from a wonderful Anon:
> 
> "Please come get me"

A low rumble in the distance was the first indication of a summer storm rolling in.

John paused, his pencil hovering above his sketchbook, and looked up. 

He looked at his phone, debating. 

He’d gotten in a particularly nasty tiff with Alex over… something… this morning. They’d both woken up in foul moods, and Alex had snarked, and John had snarked back, and then it seemed that Alex had gone deliberately out of his way to push John’s buttons…

…and okay, maybe a little of the reverse as well. 

He picked up his phone and shot off a quick text.

_Storm coming. You heading home?_

He probably didn’t have time.

His phone vibrated.

_No._

John pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Pride was going to be the death of them both. 

_’Lex? You probably should. I’m sorry for what I said this morning…_

He tried again, and didn’t pick up his pencil again this time. There was no use. Despite still being annoyed with Alex, he couldn’t help but worry. He’d go get him despite Alex’s refusal if he only knew where he was. 

Another low rumble sounded in the distance. 

John counted. Five seconds. The storm was five miles away. 

His phone vibrated again. 

_Don’t apologize just because you feel sorry for me._

“Ugh! Alexander!”

John tossed his phone down on the table and stood up, rubbing his hands over his face in frustration. Part of him – a very small part – was glad for the pending storm. Anything to lift this heat. 

Another peal of thunder rolled through the darkening sky, and John’s phone began to ring.

Despite his annoyance, he dove for it, answering.

“John Laurens!”

“John. Please come get me.”

Alex’s voice was strained, choked. 

“On my way. Where are you?”

John was hopping into his shoes one handed as they spoke. He knew there wasn’t much time to get Alex home before the storm broke. 

“Work.”

“Okay, good, that’s not far. I’m going to get a cab and I’ll be right there, okay babygirl?”

John waited for Alex’s affirmative and hung up, racing down to the street and frantically hailing a cab. 

The rain had started by the time John got to Alex’s work. He paid the cabbie extra to wait and rushed up to Alex’s office to get him. 

The thunder was rolling low and continuous by the time they got back to the apartment, lightning streaking across the sky as the rain lashed down mercilessly. It took all of John’s coaxing to get Alex out of the car. 

By the time they got in the apartment, Alex was shaking like a leaf, whimpering in fear every time thunder cracked the sky. 

“Shh, shh, I’ve got you.”

John shut the door and guided Alex to the couch. He closed the curtains and curled up on the couch with Alex in his arms, holding him tight. 

By the time the storm passed, John’s shirt was soaked through with sweat and tears, and Alex had sobbed and shook himself to exhaustion. 

“Hey…”

John spoke softly, long after the last roll of thunder had left the sky. 

Alex looked up, eyes puffy and red from crying. John smiled softly, and kissed him gently.

“I’m sorry for being such an ass this morning.”

Alex mumbled. John kissed his nose.

“Me too.”

He stood up, tugging Alex with him.

“C’mere, I want you to see something.”

He led Alex to the window, pushing back the curtains. 

The sun was setting in a glorious display of pinks and oranges across the cloudy sky. The world glistened with water, washed clean and bright after the torrential rain.

John tugged Alex close, arm around his waist. Alex lay his head on John’s shoulder. 

“There’s always a calm after the storm. And it’s usually pretty beautiful.”

John kissed the top of Alex’s head. 

“There always will be for us, too. I promise.”

He held Alex a little closer. Felt him sigh with a soft release of tension and melt against John.

“I love you.”

Alex whispered, voice hushed.

“Me too.”


	9. I'd Fight The Very Stars For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this one didn't end up very angsty. I hope you enjoy it anyways!!
> 
> "Shit are you bleeding?" for a lovely anon <3

“Y’wanna fuckin’ go?!”

Music pounded loud through John’s veins, bass thumping with the beat of his heart. The club was dark, lit by flashing, spinning, swinging lights. 

And John was spoiling for a fight.

Lafayette and Alex were off in some dark corner, grinding away and making out. Ignoring him. He’d left for just a moment, to get a new drink, and when he’d gotten back they hadn’t even come up for air. 

Ordinarily, it wouldn’t have bothered him. He’d have sat back to watch, enjoyed the sight of his boyfriends all over each other. Easily the best thing he’d ever gotten to feast his eyes on. 

But sensibilities blurred and faded, Jack Daniels and coke washing away his practical side. 

He’d left them alone, downed his drink in one go, and gone to find another. 

Instead, someone had shoved him, and he just couldn’t let it go.

Next thing he knew, fists were flying. People shouting. Cheery lights still flashing and spinning over the dance floor. The music still blared, but John couldn’t hear it. Fist in his face, fist in someone else’s… something. Didn’t matter. 

Solid crack of knuckles on a face. Good hit. It felt good. Something soothed deep inside him. Jack and coke coating his tongue. 

Someone grabbed his arm. 

“John!”

He slung a fist. Blind. Heard a curse word and laughed a little. The shouting intensified. His head felt pleasantly heavy. He landed another punch, and another punch landed him. Landed on him. Whatever.

“John Laurens!! Let’s go you scrappy jackass.”

Lafayette’s voice. Cut through the fog. Kicked the adrenaline to the curb. 

He still had to be dragged out of the club with Laf’s arm under his shoulders. Grumbled ‘fuckin’ let go!” the whole way out.

Cool night air slapped him in the face. Stars spun in the inky sky above. Cars honked their way down the busy street. 

“Okay, time to go home. God lord Laurens.”

Lafayette took John’s hand. John yanked it back, still itching to fight. Lafayette sighed.

“John Laurens look what you have done to your Alexander.”

Long suffering look on his handsome face. Voice weary, little slurred. John looked.

“Shit are you bleeding?!”

How the fuck had that happened!?

“Yes I’m fucking bleeding you ass.”

Alexander griped. Lip swollen and split. Glared at John like it was his fault. 

“Well who the fuck did that to you cause I’m gonna go kick their fucking ass. Lay a hand on my boyfriend, so help me god…”

He pivoted, ready to head back into the club. Ready to kick some ass.

Lafayette grabbed him and spun him back around.

“ _You_ did that, John.”

Lafayette spoke quiet. Dead serious. World spun dangerously. John looked at Alex’s face again, then back at Lafayette. Laf nodded, face grim. Looked back at Alex. Alex nodded too. 

“Oh my god. Alex!”

John grabbed Alex’s face. Maybe shook him a little by accident. Inspected the split lip, searched Alex’s face, smothered him with kisses until Alex was spluttering and laughing and trying to bat him off.

“I’m so fucking sorry why would I do that?!”

He wailed. Two strangers stopped ahead of them and glanced back. John gave them the finger.

“I don’t think you realized it was me.”

Alex caught John’s hands, stilling them. Twined their fingers together. Kissed them.

“Fuck. I- fuck. I’m so sorry Alex. You need ice! And advil! And- Laaaaaaf why would you let me do this?!”

He turned to Laf accusingly. 

Laf raised his hands in protest, shaking his head.

“Don’t look at me. You’re the one who got drunk and fighty. C’mon, let’s go home and you can put Alexander back together?”

Lafayette always had the answers. John stared at him in awe for a moment, then nodded. He took Alex’s hand in one of his, and Lafayette’s in the other, and they headed for home. John asked Alex if he was sure he was going to be okay every five seconds, all the way home. When they reached their building, he raised a fist to the sky and proclaimed he was never drinking again. 

Inside, Lafayette let John hold an ice pack to Alex’s face while he dug out the first aid kit, and then it was Lafayette who patched them both up, and bundled everyone to bed.

Tucked in, with Alex in the middle, John tentatively touched Alex’s lip. Alex hissed softly, and swatted his hand.

“You sure you’re okay, ‘Lex?”

“If you ask me that one more time John Laurens, _you_ are not going to be okay.”

“Can you both please shut up?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave some love! ;)


	10. I Would Walk Through Storms Trust Me Darling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for @story_of_tonight <3

Alex’s phone vibrated for the fifth time in the last hour. Annoyed, he picked it up, answering with a curt hello.

“Alex! We’ve been trying to get a hold of you, the weather’s getting bad, you should come home…”

John’s voice, breathless with worry. Storm coming. Alex’s stomach tightened, and he knew he needed to get home, but he was in the middle of writing this article and it was going well. He looked out his window, the sky darkening even as he watched.

“I’m just going to get this article done, and then I’ll tell Washington I’m going to work from home for the rest of the day, okay?”

He really needed to get back to this, had a deadline to meet, and was losing precious seconds with John on the phone. He could almost _feel_ the pause on the other end of the line.

“Are you sure, Alex?”

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose. He had to get this done.

“Yes. See you soon.”

He hung up before John could protest, and with a nervous glance at the darkening sky, turned back to his work.

\--

He was typing away furiously when Washington stuck his head into his office.

“Alexander, pack up. There’s a hurricane blowing in, we’re closing the office for the day.”

And then he was gone.

Alex sat frozen, fingers poised on his laptop keys.

_hurricane._

His phone began to vibrate again.

“Hello?”

“Mon chou you need to leave _now_.”

“Laf. I’ll be home soon. Washington said it’s a hurricane?”

He hated how small his voice sounded, hated the thrum of nerves through his vein, the way his hands trembled as he saved his work and packed his computer up.

“…it is. Come home Alex. John is there and I’m on my way. Please take a cab? It will be faster…”

He could hear the worry in Lafayette’s voice, hated that too. He hated being weak, wanted to be strong and capable. Hated how a few clouds in the sky took the legs right out from under him.

“Okay.”

He hung up, slung his bag over his shoulder, and started for the door. He pulled his office door closed behind him, locked it, turned to get in the elevator.

The power went out.

Alex swallowed a curse, his heart pounding in his throat. He stood frozen in the hallway, shaking with fear, staring at nothing. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, the power was out, the hurricane was here, this was bad bad bad bad bad-

“C’mon Ham, let’s go!”

His colleague passed, some guy he barely knew, heading for the stairs without a backwards glance. But his words snapped Alex out of his reverie, and he followed quickly, hurrying down the stairs and out into the street-

Harsh wind whipped through the street, garbage and newspapers flying by. It tore at his clothes, tugged at his hair, tried to push him off his feet. It stole the breath from his lungs and replaced it with fear. The sky was growing darker by the second, fat droplets of rain beginning to fall. One landed on his arm, then three dotted the sidewalk in front of him, and then it was pouring.

Home.

He had to get home.

He couldn’t breathe.

His heart was pounding in his ears, fear drowning out common sense until he was frozen on the spot, wind and rain trying to take him apart. The storm raged around him, garbage flying past, people hurrying to get out of it.

Alex alone on the sidewalk.

Alex alone in a hurricane.

He swallowed a panicked sob, looked up and down the street, didn’t know which way to go, fear shorting everything else out of his mind. The rain came down harder, soaking him through, stinging his skin. A flying Starbucks cup hit the side of his head and kept going. He backed up into the doorway, pressing into the corner, trying to hide.

The wind found him anyway, tore at his clothes.

The rain found him anyway, lashed at his face.

“Alex!”

Somehow, John was there, in front of him, hands on his arms.

“We tried to call you when we realized it was coming too fast, one of us should have come to get you, I’m so sorry babygirl.”

He had to shout to be heard over the wind and the rain.

Alex just shook and shook, staring helplessly at John.

“Come on, let’s get you home, it’s okay baby, I’m here now.”

John wrapped an arm around him and Alex pressed in tight, holding onto the only safe thing he knew. The storm raged around him, but he clung to John, trying hard to swallow back his fear as John hailed a cab, bundled him gently inside, stayed close, hands all over, touching and petting.

“That’s it, we’ll be home soon, just hold it together for a few minutes, can you do that for me babygirl?”

Alex curled up, tucked tight into John, turning his face into John’s neck and breathing short, fast breaths, panic overwhelming him. He could hear John’s voice as if from very far away, talking to Lafayette on the phone, telling him he had him, they’d be home soon.

Home seemed like another world, far away and impossible to comprehend.

The cab stopped and the door opened and there was Laf, soaking wet, eyes wide with worry, hands reaching in.

“Oh mon chou, I am so sorry.”

He took Alex’s hands and pulled him up out of the cab, back into the storm, and Alex flinched, knees giving out as the wind and rain drove into him again, tearing at him, taking him apart. He was lost in the hurricane, knew Lafayette and John were there only vaguely, felt Lafayette’s arm under his shoulders, holding him up, pulling him close, shouting at him in French over the howling wind and rain.

Then John was there too, pressing up to his other side, and they bundled him inside and up the elevator, lights flickering dangerously and making Alex flinch.

“Shh, shh babygirl we’ve got you.”

John pressed to his back, rubbing his arm. Lafayette pressed to his front, holding him tight, murmuring in French.

They got into the apartment and guided Alex to the bedroom. Out of wet clothes. Into the shower.

Flinched at the water, shaking like a leaf. He pressed his face into Lafayette’s chest, breathing shallow, fast breaths, eyes closed. Clung to Lafayette like a life raft in the ocean. The storm raged on outside, howling wind tearing at the building.

The storm raged on in Alex’s head, his life coming apart before his eyes in the wind.

He barely registered the shower turning off, John towelling him dry.

Then they were in bed and the covers were soft and felt familiar and he was pressed tight between John and Lafayette, his face in Lafayette’s neck.

“You’re safe Alex, we’ve got you.”

John murmured in his ear, stroking up and down his arm. Lafayette held him tight, strong arms wrapped around him.

He still couldn’t breathe, heart racing, lungs too full of fear to fill with air.

“Breathe, mon chou. Like this.”

Lafayette took a deep breath, chest filling against Alex. With a whimper, Alex tried to copy, breathing in. Choked. Shook his head.

“Shh, it’s okay baby.”

John’s soft voice in his ear.

Tried again, deep breath in. It caught in his throat.

Tried one more time, deep breath in, got some air. Breathed out.

Started sobbing, shaking despite Lafayette and John’s bodies warming him.

John kissed the back of his head, kept stroking his arm.

The wind continued to howl violently, rain lashing against the windows.

His boyfriends held him close, and Alex sobbed until his throat was raw, his eyes puffy, and exhaustion dragged him under into a restless, tortured sleep.

John and Laf exchanged a look over his head. Kissed softly.

Stayed.


	11. Of Champagne & Bad Ideas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something silly to distract from the mer!angst.

Lafayette was bored.

He was between jobs at the moment, and both John and Alex were working long hours, trying to get projects done for tight deadlines.

So Lafayette shopped. And he worked out. And he kept house. And he showered John and Alex with attention when they _were_ home. But he was bored, and he was a little lonely. He could feel himself getting mopey.

The afternoon sun was high in the sky when he decided to abandon the laundry for the day – there wasn’t much anyways, and it could wait, and the bathrooms, which he had been intending to clean next, really were spotless. Instead, he grabbed a large bottle of sparkling wine from the fridge and a book from the shelf, changed into swim trunks, lathered on his favourite tanning oil, stuck the wine in a bucket of ice, and installed himself in a lounge chair on the patio.

He lost track of time, warm sun on his skin, getting lost in his book. He sipped the sparkling wine – crisp, fresh flavours that contrasted the heavy heat of summer beautifully.

Hours passed, then sun sitting lower in the sky. He was halfway through his book when he reached out to re-fill his wine glass and realized the bottle was empty.

Oops.

Well, he should probably think about doing something for dinner anyways. His boys would be home soon, and he could greet them with something home cooked. They’d like that, and there was nothing Lafayette loved more than taking care of John and Alex.

He stood up, the wine making his body feel pleasantly slow, almost dreamlike. He brought the book and the ice bucket inside, stashed the empty bottle with the rest of their empties, and snagged a beer from the fridge. He made his way to the bedroom, showered off the sweat and tanning oil in between swallows of beer.

 

Finished the beer by the time he got out of the shower and towelled off. 

Maybe he would make breakfast for dinner. Pancakes and bacon and scrambled eggs. That couldn’t be too hard, could it? 

Oh, and mimosas!

Pleased with himself, Lafayette pulled on a pair of shorts, turned on the radio and turned the volume up, and got to work. 

He pulled everything he would need out of the fridge and the cupboards. Eggs. Milk. Champagne. Orange juice. Bacon. Lettuce. Wait no, not that. Put the lettuce back. 

Baking soda. Vinegar. Flour. Froot Loops. Salt. Sugar. 

Popped the champagne, took a long swallow of it.

Wait. No. That’s for mimosas.

Put the champagne down.

Closed the fridge when it started beeping at him in protest. Apologized to it in French. Danced around the kitchen, drinking more champagne. 

Wait. No. stop drinking the champagne.

Put the champagne on the table so he wouldn’t drink any more of it.

He poured milk into a measuring cup, squinting at it with one eye closed… ehhhh, close enough. Added a splash of vinegar, and put it aside to turn into buttermilk. Good. 

Started the stove, then cracked a bunch of eggs into a bowl. Cracked one on the floor by accident. Dropped some paper towel on it to clean up in a minute.

Got distracted from cooking by the need to set the table. Did that, drank some more champagne, and brought it back to the counter with him. 

A song came on that he liked, so he left off cooking and danced around the kitchen, champagne bottle in hand, singing along at the top of his lungs. He crashed into a chair, knocking it over. Apologized to it in French as well, kept dancing. 

Opened the fridge and looked in. Forgot to close it. 

Kept cooking. Flour in the eggs, stirred around a bit. 

Pancake batter mixed, he didn’t measure, just eyeballed it – flour, salt, baking soda. Added the buttermilk and stirred it until it looked good enough. 

Realized he’d set a wooden spoon on fire on the stove, yelped, threw it in the sink and turned the water on. 

Put the bacon in a pan. Put the eggs in a pan. Tried to make mickey mouse shaped pancakes but mostly just spilled pancake batter everywhere. 

Danced around the kitchen to another song, spatula in hand, dripping egg bits and pancake batter everywhere. 

Went to drink more champagne and realized he’d drank it all. 

Shit.

Now there would be no mimosas.

He pouted about that for a second before a high pitched screeching started above his head. With a yelp, Lafayette clapped his hands over his ears, looking wildly around, only to realize that what had once been bacon was now a black, charred, smoking mess on the stove. 

He scrambled over, switched the burner off, threw that in the sink under cold water too, and waved a dish towel at the smoke alarm until it piped down. 

He raced around the house, opened all the windows to let the smoke out. Fell over another chair in the kitchen in the process. 

Surveyed the state of the kitchen and turned off the other two burners as well. 

Sometimes, it was best to know when to quit.

Besides, he really needed to clean this up before Alex and John got home-

As if on cue, Lafayette heard the sound of keys in the door. 

He swore in French and scrambled for the door, so that when Alex opened it – John right behind him – they were greeted by Laf’s face, and couldn’t see past him to the disaster in the kitchen.

“Jesus Christ! Laf what the fuck!”

Alex jumped back, startled, and tripped over John’s foot. John caught him and steadied him, laughing.

“Mon chou! John! Before you look into the kitchen, please know that I love you very, very much.”

He said solemnly, stepping back to let them into the apartment. 

“Okay…”

Alex answered suspiciously, stepping inside, followed by John.

“What’s on you?”

John tipped his head to the side, crinkled his nose. Lafayette looked down at himself, then threw his hands in the air.

“Pancake batter!”

He grinned. Pleased with himself. The open fridge beeped in protest behind him.

He bounced on the balls of his feet as Alex and John took in the scene behind him, expressions going from shocked, to confused, to amusement.

“Laf… babe, what _happened_?”

Alex asked, kicking off his shoes and setting down his bag. John covered a laugh his hand, adding his shoes to the pile. 

“Dinner!”

Laf said simply, turning and weaving back into the kitchen, hands in the air. Ignored John’s snort of laughter behind him.

He picked up the pan of scrambled eggs. Turned and presented it proudly to Alex. 

“What the fuck is that?”

“Eggs!”

His face fell as Alex tried not to laugh.

“Mon chou, I tried to cook dinner for you and John.”

He pouted, still holding out the pan, a congealed mess of eggs and flour. Alex took it from him, and set it down on the counter.

“I… can see that. While I appreciate the effort, I really do babe, I’m, uh… not sure that’s edible.”

Lafayette pouted further, reaching out to pull Alex to him. Pouted even more when Alex dodged his hands.

“You’re covered in I don’t even know what, love. Let me go change? Then we’ll get this all cleaned up.”

Alex started for the bedroom, so Lafayette followed, only to be stopped by John, coming the other way, dressed only in swim trunks.

“Oh! Are we going swimming?! You are giving me another swimming lesson, yes?”

He was delighted. He loved to swim! Well. He loved swimming lessons with John because after, he got to fuck John on the swimming pool stairs. And he got to look at him in his tight little swim suit. Maybe he’d blow him in the showers after, this time, ohh yeahh…

“No Laf. We’re going to clean up the kitchen. You stay here with me and let Alex get changed? You’re kind of… filthy.”

John took Lafayette’s hand and guided him back into the kitchen, containing the mess. Lafayette reached out, touching John’s face –and smearing pancake goop on him in the process.

“There were going to be mimosas, but I drank all the champagne by accident. I am sorry, mon cher.”

He wrapped his arms around John, tugged him close, chest to back. Kissed his neck and shoulder, grinned at John’s giggles.

“Laf! How do you accidentally drink a whole bottle of champagne?!”

“By forgetting why you took it out of the fridge?”

Lafayette shrugged again. It wasn’t his fault!

“Okay, let’s get this cleaned up, and then order a pizza?”

Alex was back. Lafayette grabbed his wrist, pulled him close too, drunk on the laughter of his two boyfriends (okay and maybe a little on wine and champagne). 

“I will just have you for dinner, yes?”

Kissed Alex, tongue sweeping into his mouth and teasing a gasp from him. 

“Laf! Quit it you drunk idiot.”

More laughing. Kissed John instead, knew he’d give in easier. And he did, for a moment, tongues tangling in a deep kiss. But then he pulled away too. 

“Clean first. Then food.”

John tapped Lafayette on the nose, grinned. 

Laf pouted again, but acquiesced. He put his hands on the counter, leaning on it for support while the room gave a slow spin, and accidentally put his right hand right in a puddle of pancake batter.

“Fine. You win. You’re no fun.”

Alex closed the fridge, and dug out cleaning supplies – paper towel, cleaning spray, sponges. He surveyed the mess as Lafayette sidled up beside him. 

“Now where do we st-“

Alex’s sentence was cut off in a loud yelp, Lafayette’s batter-covered hand landing right on his face, smearing him with it. John howled with laughter, and Lafayette pulled Alex into a messy hug, grinning like an idiot. 

Somehow, they got the kitchen cleaned up. Then they showered together, washing pancake batter and egg bits off (“How’d you get egg in your _ear_ Laf?!”). Got dressed and ate pizza on the couch, cuddled together with a movie on. Laf couldn’t really focus on the movie, but that was okay. He had his boys here, and pizza, and John was making him drink water which he didn’t really want to do but he did it because it made John happy. Then they took him to bed. No sex, because he was drunk. Pouted a little. Tried to persuade John with a hand down his briefs and got batted away. Pouted a lot. 

Got kissed until he was laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe, Alex and John smothering him. 

Fell asleep like that, grinning like a fool in between his two loves.

\--

Woke up with a splitting headache and groaned, rolling over. 

“Alex? Mon chou what are you doing here?”

Laf blinked blearily at Alex, sitting up in bed with his glasses on, typing away at his laptop. 

“Working from home. John had to go in for a meeting this morning but he’s coming home at lunch, too.”

Leaned down for a kiss, hand in Laf’s hair. Lafayette groaned, and snuggled over, face pressed into Alex’s thigh. 

“May we have pancakes for breakfast?”

Peeked up at Alex in time to watch him laugh and shake his head. 

“Whatever you want, but why don’t I cook?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments pls! <3


	12. Hold On, Wait Until The Room Stops Spinning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr request from an anon! Thank you for sending me a request! <3

The front door to the apartment burst open and John all but fell inside, tangled with and tripping over Lafayette and Alex, laughing so hard they could barely breathe. 

World spun, John fell against the wall and struggled out of his shoes. He kicked them carelessly to the side and dropped his coat in a heap on the floor. Stripped his tight t-shirt off and dropped that there too for good measure. 

Alex’s choked laugh behind him, and then he fell against John’s shoulder and John had to splay his legs out to hold them both up.

“You gonna take off all your clothes right here?”

Alex nuzzled into his shoulder and John laughed. 

“No! I just… did too many.”

Waved his hand vaguely in the air. They both laughed, and stumbled together into the bathroom, Lafayette on their heels. 

Lights on, stark after the dreamy, blurry street lights, and the dipping, weaving, dancing lights in the club. 

“Sit, both of you.”

John gestured wildly at the edge of the bathtub, and turned to dig out the first aid kit. Swept a bunch of things off the counter in the process. Sent all three of them into peals of laughter again, Lafayette leaning heavily on Alex’s shoulder. 

Found the first aid kit and opened it. Dumped everything out onto the counter. 

Turned around to find Alex and Laf making out, sloppy drunk kisses, oblivious to Laf’s sluggishly bleeding nose. Threw a bunch of gauze pads at them in protest.

“Hey! Stop it, gotta put you idiots back together!”

John waited, hands on hips. Gave up and pulled on Alex’s ponytail to break their kisses. 

“Hey!”

Alex whined, pouted. Lafayette laughed. John dropped an apology kiss on Alex’s pouty lower lip. 

“Gotta fix you, babygirl.”

Cut on his cheek that was already starting to bruise. Matching one over his eyebrow. 

John cleaned the wounds on Alex’s face and knuckles with cotton swabs and warm soapy water. Smeared antibiotic ointment on – probably too liberally, but it didn’t hurt to be extra thorough. Did him up with clumsy bandages.

Lafayette’s hand snuck down the back of his jeans. 

Laughing, John batted him away.

“Cut it out!”

“But mon cher! I am hungry. And I don’t want to sit here!”

Lafayette pouted, and John kissed his pouty lip too. God there were a lot of pouty lips around here.

“We’ll make a snack after? Your nose is bleeding.”

“Is it?”

John turned away to finish bandaging Alex’s hand, then turned back in time to see Lafayette put his bloody hand down on the edge of the tub, blood streaked across his hand and the tub.

“Laf! Just, don’t move!”

Lafayette froze, hand halfway to somewhere, in the air. Alex’s arms snaked around John’s middle, tugging him close, nuzzling his stomach. 

“You guys are impossible!”

John threw his hands in the air. His turn to pout. Swayed a little on the spot. 

Alex squeezed him harder, and Lafayette was sitting perfectly still, like a statue. Couldn’t keep a straight face when John raised an eyebrow at him. Stuck out his tongue. Laughed.

“You don’t have to patch us up, Nurse Laurens.”

Alex’s voice, muffled against John’s stomach. 

“I do! If you two losers wouldn’t get in fights because of me, then we wouldn’t have to do this, now would we?”

John pushed Alex off, ignoring his grumbled protests, and grabbed Lafayette’s hands. He cleaned the cuts on Lafayette’s knuckles with the same care he had Alex’s – spilling soapy water everywhere in the process. 

Alex stood up, and John reached over and pushed him back down. Pushed too hard and Alex toppled backwards into the empty tub, laughing. 

“Hey!”

“Stay put!”

“Mon chou, John is paying attention to _me_ right now.”

Lafayette cut in archly. Snorts of laughter all around.

“We had to get in a fight! We couldn’t just let that asshole insult your freckles!”

Alex protested from the tub, stayed where he was on his back, sprawled unceremoniously there. 

John laughed again and shook his head.

“My freckles and I are fine, our feelings weren’t hurt.”

Washed the blood off the tub and cleaned up Lafayette’s face. 

“You’re gonna have a black eye.”

“What kind of boyfriends would we be if we didn’t defend your honor, mon cher?”

Lafayette grinned charmingly up at John, and John shook his head, laughing. 

“Fine, fine, get in fights with every jerk who insults my freckles, but don’t complain when I patch you up after. Deal?”

“Deal!”

Alex piped up from the bathtub.

“Little one, your freckles are more beautiful than all the stars in the sky and should be treasured and admired, not insulted!”

John just grinned, and held out his hands to help Laf up. Reached down to offer Alex a hand, and was yanked unceremoniously into the tub instead, falling in a heap on top of Alex.

“Besides, we won.”

“Is that all you care about?”

“Yes.”

Sloppy drunk kiss to the side of John’s face. John gave in, turned his head, caught Alex’s mouth in a real kiss, tongues stroking into each other’s mouths. 

Yelped and scrambled out of the tub when the water turned on, splashing him. Alex fell out onto the floor right behind him, tangling pile of limbs on the bathroom floor.

“Lafayette! What the hell!?”

Lafayette reached down to help them up, but, helpless with laughter, just wound up slumping to the floor alongside John and Alex.

“I wanted you out of the tub.”

Shrugged. Leaned across John and turned the water off. Collapsed against him. Blew a raspberry on his stomach. Sent them all into another round of helpless laughter. 

“My heroes. Selflessly defending my freckles and I from mean strangers. How’d I get so lucky?”  
Found first Laf’s cheek, then Alex’s. Kiss for each.


	13. I'm Safe In Your Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I wish you would write a fic where John gets a booboo in little space and wants cuddles"
> 
> Thank you, Nonny! <3

Daddy said to sit and wait. 

So John was sitting and waiting.

But he was hungry, and Daddy was taking too long, and he could be an extra good boy and help, Daddy would like that, right?

John shifted in his seat, Pokey hugged close to his chest. He was dressed in pjs, the ones with the little bats all over them, hair damp from his bath. 

The bowl of strawberries was on the counter in front of him, just waiting for Daddy to come back and slice the tops off, and then cut in half, the way John liked them best. But he could do that, he could help. Daddy would be pleased if John helped.

So he reached for the knife, but he accidentally knocked the handle and it spun, so when he grabbed for it, it nicked his finger. 

He jumped back with a yelp, staring at the pad of his finger, blood welling out of the shallow cut. 

“DADDY!!!! BLOOD!”

The pain was delayed, not really hitting him until he watched the first drop of blood fall from his fingertip to the counter. 

Lafayette rushed in, taking John’s wrist gently and turning it to look at the cut.

“Little one, what happened?”

At the sound of Lafayette’s concern, John burst into tears. 

“Tried to help Daddy!”

He’d tried to help, and now his finger hurt and he was bleeding, and he’d just made more work instead of actually helping. 

Lafayette gathered him up in his arms and John burrowed against him, face in Lafayette’s chest. He held the offending finger away from himself, as if that would make it hurt less.

“Did I hear blood?”

Papi’s voice, Papi was here too, touching his hand gentle to John’s back.

“PAPI MY FINGER!”

John wailed. 

Lafayette hugged him close, rocked him back and forth.

“Shh mon cher. Will you let Papi take a look? He’ll make it better for you, and I will hold you the whole time, okay?”

John shuddered and pressed closer to Lafayette. He flinched when Alex took his hand gently, tried to pull it away.

“No, no, Papi. Hurts!”

He whimpered, shaking his head, face against Lafayette’s chest. Lafayette stroked his back, kissed the side of his head.

“I know it is painful baby, but if you let Papi look, he’ll make it better. Let Papi fix it?”

Alex let go, and John yanked his hand in against himself protectively, finger throbbing now. Lafayette caught his wrist just before John could hide his hand between their bodies, and held it still.

“No my love, you don’t want to bleed on Pokey. Papi is just getting some warm water, and the first aid kit.”

Then Alex was back, taking John’s wrist from Lafayette and gently coaxing his arm out and onto the counter.

“There, good boy Jacky. I’m just going to clean it a little, okay? It might sting a bit, but you can be brave, can’t you Babyboy?”

Papi’s words soothing, explaining what he was going to do. John whimpered a bit, kept his face tucked against Lafayette’s chest, but nodded.

“That’s it, you’re so brave. You’re a good boy.”

Lafayette spoke softly, cradling him close, gentle words talking John through while Alex carefully washed the cut with warm water and gauze.

“There, see baby? All clean. Now I’m just going to put some ointment on, and bandage it up. Ready?”

John nodded again, snuffling as his tears slowed. He held still while Alex bandaged him up, trying to focus on Lafayette’s hand stroking his back. 

“All done! You did great Babyboy, you’re so brave.”

Alex let go of his hand, and John risked a look.

“Oh! Papi! There’s turtles!”

He pulled his hand to himself and looked. Over top of the thick white bandage was a green bandaid patterned with turtles. He looked at Papi, smiling a bright, if watery smile. 

Alex came around the island and hugged him from behind, kissing his shoulder.

“I saw those at the store last week and had to get them for you, Jacky. Here, let’s go choose a movie while Daddy finished making your snack?”

John nodded, hopping down from the stool and taking Papi’s hand with his un-injured one, Pokey tucked beneath his arm.

“Thank you for fixing me, Papi.”

He cuddled against Alex’s side, and Alex hugged him close.

“Always, Babyboy. Oh! But I forgot the most important part!”

“You did?”

John looked at his bandaged finger, confused, and offered it back to Alex. Alex smiled, and kissed the tip of the bandaged finger.

“I did. Gotta kiss it better.”

John giggled, smiling brightly, his tears forgotten. Turning, he held out his finger to Lafayette.

“Daddy too!”


	14. If Ever You Fall, I Will Catch You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anon request - John got a little carried away with the booze, oops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the events in this chapter is borrowed from my real life. Enjoy! >.>

The crowded club was hot. Too hot. Press of bodies dizzying around him. 

It had been a bad, bad day. Bad day. Laf and Alex wanted to go out, and John did too. Drink away the week, dance away the stress.

Went too far.

Couldn’t find Laf and Alex now, caught in the press of the crowd, bodies packed tight around. Lights swirling and dipping and flashing, all colours. Music so loud he felt it in his bloodstream. 

John looked at the drink in his hand, half finished. Stomach dipped and rolled to the music. Not pleasant. Took one more sip of the drink and handed it off to a stranger. Weaved through the crowd, stumbled, fell against some people, and then he was outside.

Cars rushed by, streetlights spun… those weren’t supposed to move…

Stumbled a few steps down the street, heading… home, he hoped. Didn’t really know. Pulled out his phone and shot off a text to Alex:

 **John:** I”m jogrusioj eihoeoir

 **Ham:** Huh?

 **John:** outsifesd. hte strwestligsit are spingny

Pocketed his phone and stumbled down the sidewalk a few steps, but then there was a bench and sitting seemed like a really, really good idea. Streetlights kept spinning, too fast, blurring in his head. He sat down, stuffed his head between his knees and closed his eyes. 

“John? Shit are you okay?”

“Mon cher! Are you not feeling well?”

Alex and Laf appeared, as if by magic, suddenly there, one on either side of him, touching his shoulder, petting his hair.

Instead of answering them, John threw up.

“Oooookay… it’s time to go home.”

Arms under his shoulders, lifting him up to his feet, supported between them. John groaned in protest and shook his head. World felt funny, didn’t want to walk anywhere, just wanted to lie down and close his eyes.

“Can… can just sleep… there.”

Waved his hand vaguely back in the direction of the bench. 

“Non. Mon cher you may not sleep on the bench on the street. That is not safe.”

Secure between Laf and Alex, his head lolled heavily against Laf’s shoulder as they guided him down the street. Why couldn’t they just let him sleep? On the bench? It was nice there? Flat, didn’t move. He could close his eyes and not have to see the whole world dipping and blurring. 

“But…”

“No buts, little one.”

“But I like your butt?”

Snort of laughter from Alex. 

Stumbled through the front door of their building, bright lights blinding. Into the elevator, doors closed, soft ding, little jerk and up they went. John’s knees buckled and he slumped, prevented from hitting the floor only by Alex and Lafayette’s grip on him.

“Let me downnnnn…”

He whined. 

“No baby boy. We’re almost home and then you can sleep.”

Elevator dinged again. John barely noticed the walk down the hall. Door open, into their apartment, Lafayette held him up while Alex pried his shoes off. John’s head lolled, but then his stomach was climbing up his throat again, and Alex would _kill_ him if he puked on him…

“Bathroom.”

He managed to croak. They got him there just in time. 

Lafayette held his hair back, kneeling behind him. He was barely aware of his surroundings, and he was so, so tired. Lay his head on the cool toilet seat and let Lafayette braid his hair back, and secure it.

Alex knelt next to him, held a glass of water to his lips.

“Don’t drink, just rinse. You can have a small sip when you stop puking.”

John took the cup from Alex’s hand, took a small sip of water and swished it in his mouth. Spat, and reached up to put the cup on the back of the toilet. 

“Wait, no, John let me-“

Alex’s protests didn’t register. Let go of the cup, and was suddenly, rudely doused in cold water. 

The shock of being suddenly cold and wet startled a yelp out of him, and he immediately burst into tears. 

“I’m all, all, weeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttttt!”

Lafayette’s hand rubbed his back, and Alex’s face pressed into his shoulder, his body shaking with stifled laughter. 

“Shhhh, mon cher it’s alright. You dropped the water on your head, that’s all. I’ll go get you a new one, and some dry clothes.”

Lafayette kissed his shoulder. 

John slumped over onto his side, head in his Alex’s lap. Everything spinning, spinning, spinning. He closed his eyes… floor beneath him dipped and swayed. Alex’s fingers clumsily petting his head felt like the only real thing in the world. 

“Stop laughing at me.”

“I’m sorry! You should’ve seen your face.”

“Everything’s moving.”

“Shh baby boy. I know. You just drank too much. You’ll be okay soon.”

Then Laf was back, and John groaned in protest at being sat up again, stripped, and re-dressed in something warm and soft and dry. 

He grumbled again at being scooped up and carried. Was set down on the bed and immediately rolled to the middle.

“No, little one. You have to sleep at the edge tonight.”

John shook his head, but was too tired to protest when he was shoved back over and tucked in, towel under his head. He felt Lafayette settle in beside him, lights turned off, finally, finally they’d leave him alone.

“There’s a bowl on the bedside table baby. If you need anything at all, we’ll be right here.”

Fell fast into a dreamless sleep.

\--

John woke with a pounding head and a churning stomach. 

“What the hell…”

He pushed himself up on one elbow, why was he on the edge of the bed? There was a towel under his head? And… a bowl… oh, shit.

He groaned and lay back down, pressing his face into the pillow.

“Ah, John Laurens. You are alive.”

Lafayette’s voice, thick with sleep. John groaned again, shaking his head.

“Alive might be a stretch.”

He croaked. Lafayette’s soft laugh didn’t help. 

“Let me get you some flat gingerale, and some crackers. You may be in for a rough day, my love…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments give me life!


	15. A For Effort, Lafayette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You're A Terrible Cook"
> 
> For story_of_tonight & an anon!

Lafayette wanted to redeem himself after making a total mess of the kitchen and dinner a few weeks ago. This time, he left the champagne in the fridge. This time, he didn’t drink an entire bottle of sparkling wine in the sun first. It was just him and Alex tonight, John working late because of client meetings. Alex would be home soon, and so Lafayette tried again.

It couldn’t possibly be that difficult to make bacon, eggs, and pancakes.

Right?

He put the bacon in the pan, turned it on. Next, he mixed the eggs up in a bowl, and put them in a separate pan. Then, he turned his attention to the pancakes. Making buttermilk was no problem, one tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of milk, set aside for five minutes to curdle. He tried to follow the recipe exactly, in between keeping an eye on the bacon and stirring the eggs around. Batter mixed, he poured three small pancakes into a third pan, and waited.

\--

Alex shed his shoes and jacket as he stepped through the door to the apartment, feeling a split second of relief at being home after a long day before the smell of burnt bacon hit his nostrils.

“Mon chou… I tried to make you breakfast for dinner again…”

Lafayette sat at the counter, looking utterly defeated. Alex raised his eyebrows, surveying the kitchen. It was clean, at least, all the chairs still upright.

“Well… at first glance it looks like it wasn’t as disastrous as last time?”

Alex stepped over to Lafayette, wrapped an arm around his slumped shoulders and kissed his cheek.

“Oh mon chou, it was! I turned my back and suddenly the bacon was burnt, and I am fully convinced that making scrambled eggs is a magical power because something horrible happened to mine? And I followed the directions but the pancakes turned out like rubber, and-“

Lafayette threw his hands up in the air in defeat.

Alex laughed, and hugged Lafayette tight.

“You are a terrible cook, Laf, when you try to make simple things.”

Lafayette’s arms settled around him and tugged him close.

“But I wanted to try, for you.”

Lafayette pouted, and Alex kissed him sweetly.

“I know babe, and I love that.”

Nuzzled Laf’s neck, breathed in his familiar scent.

“Besides… it’s an improvement on last time, so I mean, progress, right?”

Lafayette laughed, shaking his head.

“Non, mon chou. I think, next time I want breakfast for dinner, I will let you make it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments make the world go round!


	16. Let's Dream A Dream Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You look really tired"
> 
> tumblr prompt.

Alex had lost count of how many cups of coffee he’d had today. His hands shook, and he was fighting to stay alert even through the non-stop influx of caffeine. He’d tossed and turned the past few nights, catching maybe an hour of sleep here, another there. He felt like he was walking in a dream, struggling to keep it together at work and at home.

He was working now, mind too muddled to pay attention to whatever movie John and Laf were watching out in the living room. He’d snapped at Laf over dinner over something stupid that he didn’t even remember anymore. He’d ignored John’s pout when he declined to watch a movie with them, too tired and brain too scattered.

He had deadlines to hit, tight, important ones.

He read the same sentence five times in a row, mind blanking each time.

Finally, he got it to stick long enough to start writing again, fingers tapping on the keys at a frenzied pace, relaxing as he finally, finally hit his stride, nearly delirious with exhaustion-

“Alex! We’re going to make popcorn, please come watch with-“

“John!”

Concentration shattered, Alex slammed his hands down on his desk, raked them back through his hair.

“I _just_ got my thoughts together and now you distracted me and it’s _gone_! I need to get this done John, I don’t want to watch a movie, just, _please_!”

Bordered on hysteria, didn’t allow himself to really notice the hurt look on John’s face before he shut the door, leaving Alex alone again. Frazzled, he got up and paced around the room, tore at his hair, sat back down and tried again. Couldn’t get his thoughts in order. Vaguely registered the sounds of Laf and John getting ready for bed, but stayed where he was, staring at his screen. He didn’t want to spend another night staring at the ceiling, John and Laf peacefully asleep beside him, trying in vain to get his brain to turn off.

A soft knock at his closed door.

Alex groaned, put his head in his hands.

“Come in.”

He wasn’t getting anything accomplished anyways.

The door opened and Lafayette slipped inside, closed the door behind him.

“Alex…”

Alex didn’t look up, his head spinning a bit with exhaustion. He had to get back to work, he had to get this done…

“Alexander look at me.”

Lafayette’s voice was gentle but firm. Alex looked up, Laf seated on his bed.

“It is fine for you to be stressed out, to need to focus on your work… but John and I are here to give you support, to help you if you need. You can talk to us, you know. Tell us what you need, whatever that might be. We can give you space if you need space to focus. We can allow you your quiet time, whatever you need, mon chou, we will try to do for you. But, Alex, what you cannot do is take out your stress on us. It is not fair, and it hurts.”

Guilt washed over Alex and he nodded, defeated.

“I’m sorry Laf. I’ve been a total ass…”

“You have, oui. But you are our ass, and we love you anyways.”

Lafayette stood up, smoothed Alex’s hair back and kissed his forehead.

“Come to bed soon, please, mon chou? You need some rest.”

“Okay.”

Alex nodded, and turned his attention back to the laptop screen. He had to get this done. Heard Lafayette sigh, and the door shut quietly behind him.

Silence descended over the apartment, and finally, finally Alex was able to collect his thoughts enough to start writing again. Fingers flew over the keyboard, mind going a mile a minute. Finally, he finished. Saved his work and closed the laptop. Stood up and stretched, and checked the time…

2:30 am.

He was beyond exhausted, but his mind buzzed and he didn’t want to face another night of lying awake. So he padded quietly into the kitchen instead, flicked on the lights. Started the coffee maker, and rooted around in the fridge for a snack. He wasn’t really hungry, but it would be something to keep him occupied. He didn’t find anything he wanted to eat, closed the fridge and turned around…

Jumped in surprise.

“Shit, John, I didn’t hear you.”

John frowned, a look of concern crossing his face.

“Baby girl I called your name twice…”

Alex blinked, rubbed a hand over his face, and grabbed the coffee pot from the maker. Poured himself a mug and picked it up.

John came up behind him, plucked the mug out of his hands.

“Hey, what are you-“

Stopped mid sentence, mouth gaping in disbelief as John poured the coffee down the drain and left the mug in the sink.

“You look really tired, Alex. How long has it been since you slept?”

“Uhh…”

“Oooookay, the fact that you had to stop and think about that means it has been way too long. No wonder you ripped my head off tonight.”

John took Alex’s hands, tugged him close, slid his arms around his waist.

Alex dropped his head to John’s chest, shame burning in his cheeks.

“I’m sorry John. That was… really uncalled for.”

Felt John kiss the top of his head, and just felt worse.

“I should know better than to barge in on you like that when you’re working, though. I know you hate it. I’m sorry too.”

Another wave of exhaustion washed over Alex, and he leaned heavily against John, curling his fingers into the hem of his pajama shirt and holding on. Whatever he’d done to deserve the two most caring, forgiving, understanding men in the universe, he didn’t know. But he was grateful.

“Still doesn’t mean I get to speak to you the way I did, John.”

Alex mumbled. Tipped his head up to look at John, who smiled softly down at him.

“We all have off moments, Alex. I forgive you.”

Alex shook his head a little, smiled back. He stretched up for a soft kiss.

“You’re too good to me, John Laurens.”

“Nonsense. Come on.”

Alex let John lead him into the living room and push him down onto the couch. He turned on the tv, volume low, and put on a documentary, then sat beside Alex.

“Lie down, baby girl.”

Alex listened, stretching out on his side with his head in John’s lap. John tugged a throw blanket down off the back of the couch and tucked Alex in carefully. Alex wanted to protest, wanted to sit up, get back to work, even as he was far beyond functioning.

“Relaaaaax. Please?”

John stroked his hair, and Alex relented, the warmth of the blanket and John’s lap under his head comforting.

“Why are you up?”

He twisted to look up at John, frowning slightly. John shrugged.

“I don’t sleep as well without you there, I’d woken up, and I heard you come out of your room, so I came to get you.”

“Oh. Don’t you want to go back to bed?”

He felt bad keeping John up, but John just shook his head, running his fingers through Alex’s hair, over and over, his eyes on the TV screen.

“Nope.”

Alex watched John watch the TV for a long moment, then turned his head to watch too, the feel of John’s fingers through his hair soothing his frayed nerves until his eyes closed, and eventually, he slept.


	17. Lift Me Up When I'm Not Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I really need you"
> 
> Thank you sweet anon for your request <3

John felt miserable.

He lay on the couch, upper body propped up with pillows, every breath rattling in his chest. He’d been fighting a nasty cold all week, and it finally knocked him off his feet yesterday. He’d tossed and turned all night, unable to breathe properly, coughing himself awake several times, and struggling to breathe through his congestion.

Lafayette and Alex had tucked him in on the couch with snacks, meds, and Kleenex before leaving for work, promising to check in on him throughout the day.

When Lafayette called him at 10am, he said he was fine, just resting.

When Alex called him at noon, he said the same.

By the time Lafayette called him again at 2pm, he was ready to cry he was so bored, and felt so awful.

“How are you doing, little one?”

“Awful Laf! I can’t breathe, and I’m dizzy, and my throat hurts too much to eat but I’m hungry and I just… I really need you.”

He knew he was whining and he didn’t care. A well timed and unintentional coughing fit helped his cause.

“Oh mon cher… I can come home, if you’d like?”

“Not if… not if you can’t.”

John had to pause to cough again.

“But if you can… please?”

“I have to finish up one thing, and then I will be home as quick as I can, okay my love?”

“Okay.”

John hung up and lay back, eyes closed, just the effort of the phone call exhausting him. He drifted in and out of sleep, coughing too much to really fall asleep, but too sick to focus on anything. The door opened, and John went weak with relief, so glad to have Lafayette home to care for him.

“Hi Laf.”

He croaked without opening his eyes.

“Wrong boyfriend.”

John sat up in surprise, blinking at Alex as he walked into the living room, shopping bag in hand.

“But… what?”

Alex set his bag down on the coffee table and perched on the couch. He leaned down to kiss John’s forehead, and smiled.

“Laf texted me and asked if I could get away sooner than he could, and it just happened that I could, so here I am. I stopped at Kumomato on my way, thought that might be easy for you to eat…”

John managed a smile back, heart warming at the mention of the ramen restaurant Alex had taken him to on their first date.

“Thanks for coming home, Papi. I really needed you.”

Alex helped John sit up, arm around him, and John leaned into him with a happy sigh. Just having Alex here made him feel better. Alex held the Styrofoam takeout container for him, and John managed to eat all of the noodles and drink the broth, but gave up on the rest after a couple of pieces of meat. He took some more meds, and lay back down with a cough drop in his mouth, slipping into a half doze as Alex dug out his laptop and went back to work, tucked into the couch against John. The tap tapping of his fingers on the laptop keys was soothing, and John was almost asleep when Lafayette got home. He shifted to make room for Laf on the couch too, settled back in with his head on a pillow in Laf’s lap, Laf’s thumb rubbing his shoulder absently. Fed, the meds taking effect, and with both of his boyfriends cuddled in with him, John fell asleep, feeling much better already.


	18. Stay With Me, Cause You're All I Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Just Stay With Me"
> 
> John gets hurt.

“Ugh! Just, forget it Laf! I’m going home!”

John whirled, finally losing his temper. He stepped off the curb to cross the street, heard a screech of tires, the startling blare of a horn, heard Lafayette shout his name-

Then nothing.

-

Came to staring up at Lafayette’s tear streaked face, had a split second to wonder why he was lying in the street before _pain_ slammed into him so hard and all encompassing that all he could do was groan. He tried to roll, to curl up in fetal position, but Lafayette held his shoulders down.

“No little one, oh mon cher, hold still the ambulance is coming just hold on.”

Lafayette’s words, fast and frantic, his face blurring and dipping in John’s line of vision. Ambulance? What? He closed his eyes, trying to breathe through the pain. Everything else was secondary, lost under a fog.

“I love you so much John please hold on, I’m so sorry, oh god please just stay with me, please…”

Lafayette’s litany of anguish washed over John as if in a dream, and then, distraught, he slipped into French and John floated away on a fogged dream of pain and French and the wail of ambulance sirens coming closer and closer. Who was hurt? Why was there an ambulance?

Why was he lying in the street?

There was something wet under him. Why didn’t Laf move him out of this puddle? How come he couldn’t get up…

-

Came to again in a hospital bed, pain far less important now. He felt a little dizzy, room spinning lazily, but that was okay too.

“John?”

Lafayette leaned into his line of sight. John grinned at him stupidly.

“Wh….”

He started to ask, then looked around again, head lolling on his pillow. Alex’s face came into view too, pale and scared. John lifted his arm, felt all floaty and weightless, wasn’t quite sure he really still existed. Looked at the IV in his hand and flapped it gently in the air. Lafayette gently took his wrist and guided his arm back down.

“Why?”

John got the word out belatedly.

“You did not look before you stepped into the street mon cher, and you were hit by a car.”

Lafayette explained. John barely registered the words, laughed a little at the notion that a car had hit him. Didn’t it see him? He felt Alex take his free hand and grip it tight, felt Lafayette gently kiss his cheek, felt so happy that they were both here with him. Felt even more happy when they reached across him and gripped each other’s hands in their free ones. Circle complete. Alex let out a tight little laugh that dragged John’s attention over to him, blinking slow and sleepy. Alex shook his head, gave his hand a little squeeze.

“Hell of a way to win an argument, Jack.”


	19. Lay With Me So It Doesn't Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John comes home from the hospital, but Laf can't shake the thought...
> 
> continued from the previous chapter.
> 
> Tumblr prompt from an anon. Have some emotional Laf. :)

Alex woke to the sound of someone moving around the apartment. He sat up, rubbing his face sleepily, and blinked at the time. 3 am. It had been just a couple of days since John was allowed home from the hospital, but he was still recovering and had to spend most of his time in bed or on the couch. Of course, they couldn’t sleep together for fear of accidentally hurting him in his sleep, and Alex knew exactly how much that sucked from when it had been him with a broken leg…

They were taking turns sleeping in a cot beside John’s bed, and it was Laf’s turn tonight… there was no reason someone should be up at this hour. 

Worried, Alex got out of bed and padded into the living room.

“Laf?”

Lafayette was standing at the window, staring out. 

“Laf, baby what’s wrong? What are you doing out here?”

“I’m fine mon chou, I just could not sleep. Go back to bed.”

There was a tightness in Lafayette’s voice that was unusual, and he didn’t turn around as he spoke. Frowning, Alex came closer, touching a hand to Lafayette’s back.

“Laf-“

“I said I am fine, mon chou. Go back to bed.”

The curtness in Lafayette’s voice surprised Alex, as did the way he turned his head away from Alex. Alex fought his first instinct, to turn and leave Laf there since he was obviously not in the mood. Instead, he let his hand glide to the small of Lafayette’s back, slipped around in front of him and cupped Laf’s face in his hand. 

He was startled to find it wet with tears.

“Laf! You’re not fine! What’s wrong babe?”

Lafayette swallowed hard, and took a deep, shuddering breath. 

“Oh Alex… Every time I close my eyes I just see that awful moment, John stepping out into traffic, the car… and it’s all my fault, and what if it had been worse, what if…”

Lafayette's voice broke, hot tears spilling down his cheeks and over Alex's hand. 

“Shh, no, don’t think about it. It wasn’t, don’t torture yourself thinking about it. C’mere.”

Alex’s heart broke at the anguish in Lafayette’s voice. He took Laf’s hands and tugged him gently over to the couch to sit down, wrapped his arms around him. 

“I can’t help it, mon chou. It was all my fault, if we hadn’t argued, if I had only stopped a moment to listen to John he wouldn’t have walked off like that in such anger, he would have looked, he wouldn’t have been hit-“

Lafayette dissolved into sobs. 

“No, no, Laf, baby, it wasn’t your fault, we all do stupid shit sometimes, it’s not like you pushed him…”

Alex gathered Laf close, sheen of tears pricking at his own eyes as Lafayette clung to him, face buried in Alex’s chest, hot tears soaking into his skin.

“I may as well have, Alexander! I just can’t stop thinking about it.”

Lafayette whispered, broken voiced and broken hearted. 

Alex held him tight, thanking whatever fate or happenstance or stroke of luck or who the hell cared that John was okay, that his injuries, while grave and painful, would not be life altering. That it hadn’t been much worse. That he was okay, already on the mend, already impatient to be up and about more than the doctors allowed. 

“Talk to us, Laf. You can’t swallow memories like that whole, they’ll eat you up from the inside. John’s okay, and we’ll make it through.”

Alex murmured, knew all too well what holding onto trauma did to a person. He stroked Lafayette’s back, rocked him a little as his sobs quieted to tears, and then stillness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> special mention to @eeevieee for the accidental help with this one <3
> 
> & a reference to one of freakingwriter2013's laflams one shots in here ;)


	20. Slow Down Cause Tomorrow Is A Mile Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I Need You Though"
> 
> Anon prompt <3

Alex entered the apartment quietly, knowing Lafayette and John would be asleep with how late it was. His meeting had run late, and then he had an article he wanted to finish writing, so he’d stayed on after that until it was done, and he still wasn’t happy with it but it was late, and he wanted to go home. He’d make himself a coffee and hole up in his room to tweak it some more, but at least he was home and could change into some comfy clothes and relax a little.

He set his briefcase down and changed quickly, then slipped out of his room and into Laf’s, unable to resist at least seeing his boyfriends before he holed back up to work, even if they were asleep.

He pressed a quick kiss to John’s forehead, then went around to Laf’s side of the bed and did the same. Straightened up to go back to work and Lafayette’s hand snaked out, quick as a whip, and snagged his wrist, stopped him dead.

“Laf?”

Alex turned back around, speaking softly so as not to wake John.

“Mon chou, don’t go.”

Lafayette murmured, voice thick with sleep.

“I just need to get something finished up.”

Alex tried to tug his wrist away, but Lafayette held on tight.

“Non. Come to bed.”

Little pout in Lafayette’s voice that made Alex smile despite his resolve to get this article done tonight.

“But Laf…”

“Non. I don’t care.”

“I need to get this done.”

“I need you, though.”

How could he say no to that? Alex knelt on the carpet, kissed Lafayette softly on the lips.

“What for?”

Lafayette snorted, sleepy, indignant little laugh.

“What do you mean what for, mon chou. I need you always, for everything. But right now… for cuddles.”

As if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Lafayette shifted over, tucked himself tighter against John to make room for Alex beside him.

“Cuddle John.”

Alex offered weakly, argument already lost, he knew.

“I already have John. I am needing to cuddle you as well, Alexander. Get in here, or don’t you want me?”

Low blow and he knew it. Alex shucked off his clothes and left them right where he stood, slipped under the covers and right up against Laf, hugging him, kissing him, stroking down his arm.

“Of course I want you, I always want you, you know how I get when I’m working, I’m sorry.”

John stirred on Lafayette’s other side, mumbled something about a turtle in his sleep, and turned over.

“I can wait until morning, can’t it, mon chou? It is late.”

Lafayette’s voice was softer then, not quite pleading, but asking. Alex kissed him again, and gave in.

“It can wait until morning.”

“Good answer.”

Little hint of something dark and commanding in Lafayette’s voice that made Alex shiver and grin. He melted against Lafayette in the dark, and closed his eyes, secretly not at all unhappy that he’d let Lafayette coax him to bed. He was right, the article would still be there in the morning. It could wait.


	21. Heck I Forgot To Give This A Title

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are You Alright?" Anon prompt :)

John looked up from his sketchbook at the sound of a clatter, followed by a soft curse in French.

Lafayette was making dinner, but from the sounds of it, it wasn’t going all that well…

“You good, Laf?”

He called out. Waited with his head cocked to the side for a long moment before;

“Fine!”

Clipped, and sounding not at all fine.

Frowning, John set his sketch book aside and pushed himself up off the couch. He padded into the kitchen to check on Laf and found him leaning against the counter, eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose in his fingers and looking absolutely done. There was a spreading puddle of milk on the floor, dripping from the counter.

“Laf?”

John snagged a dishtowel from the oven rack and tossed it over the milk puddle on the floor, more concerned about Laf at the moment.

“…are you alright?”

He reached out and touched Laf’s shoulder gently, and watched in alarm as Lafayette visibly deflated.

“No, mon cher.”

Lafayette’s hand dropped from his face and he looked at John, cheeks flushed, eyes glazed over, a look of utter defeat on his face.

“What’s wrong? Laf, talk to me.”

John was unused to seeing Lafayette anything less than completely composed, and it shook him to see him like this now. Carefully, he took Lafayette’s hands in his, and squeezed.

“I am just… it’s nothing, little one. I am just not feeling one hundred percent.”

John bit his lower lip and reached up, pressed the back of his hand to Lafayette’s too-hot forehead.

“Laf you have a fever, come on, you should be in bed, why didn’t you say something? I could have gotten dinner ready.”

John tugged Lafayette’s hands, but Laf shook his head, resisting.

“No mon cher, it is my night to cook and I wanted to make something nice for you and Alexander, you both work so hard and I have to take good care of you.”

Lafayette’s smile held none of its usual energy and vibrancy.

“Uh uh. Nope, no way. We could have traded nights, Laf. You do take good care of Alex and I, all the time Laf, and you never ask for anything in return, but you’re not well and you need rest. Let us take care of you tonight, instead?”

John stretched up to kiss Lafayette, feather soft, and smoothed his hand over Laf’s forehead.

“But John-“

“No buts. Come on. Who’s gonna keep Alex and I in line if you don’t rest up and get better, hmm?”

John grinned, and Lafayette laughed then, shaking his head.

“Fine, fine. But at least let me clean up this mess…”

“Nope. Bed. Now. Doctor’s orders.”

Lafayette finally let John drag him out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. John waited for Lafayette to change and get under the covers, then kissed him soft and sweet, smoothed his hair back.

“You stay here. Alex and I will look after everything, I promise. Give me a couple minutes? Then I’ll be right back.”

Lafayette nodded, eyes closed, and John sighed in relief.

“Good.”

John pulled his phone out of his pocket as he headed back to the kitchen to clean up the spilled milk and put the chicken back in the fridge. The rest could wait.

 **John:** Can you pick up dinner? Laf’s got that nasty cold you had last week.

 **Ham <3:** What!?

 **Ham <3:** Yeah, of course!

 **Ham <3:** Is he ok!?

 **Ham <3:** Make him go to bed!

 **John:** He’s in bed. He’s okay. Just tired. Thanks baby girl  <3

 **Ham <3:** Love you!


	22. Your Words Piece Me Together Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ways to say "I love you";
> 
> #33. On A Post-It Note
> 
> For heartlesslynx <3

“Papi?”

John tapped on Alex’s door. Received no response. His lower lip trembled, and he shuffled into the living room to Laf, eyes brimming with tears.

“What is it little one?”

Lafayette opened his arms, reached for John, and John fell into him, sobbing.

“Papi… Papi’s mad, I was bad, Daddy! I’m bad…”

John whimpered, clinging to Lafayette like a lifeline. Lafayette rubbed his back, kissed the side of his head.

“Shhh baby, Papi just needs a minute to himself, he’s not mad at you. You’re not bad, my sweet boy.”

John pressed closer, sobs turning to sniffles and hiccups, then nothing, Lafayette holding him through it.

“B-but Daddy, Daddy I said mean things to Papi…”

A fresh wave of tears spilled from his eyes.

“Does he still know I love him?”

“Shh mon cher, yes. Yes he does, and he still loves you too, very much.”

Lafayette cradled John close, rubbing his back, waited for the second wave of tears to subside. The argument had been a bad one, so bad that John had slipped into little space after Alex shut himself in his room. Both of them could speak without thinking when they were angered, and both had said some things that crossed lines.

John wriggled in Lafayette’s lap, still sniffling and hiccupping a bit.

“Want to tell him, Daddy. Want to tell Papi I love him.”

He whined. Lafayette held him still.

“Shh, not yet little one, give him some time.”

John’s lip trembled, and Lafayette feared another round of tears, but then his gaze lit on the pad of post it notes on the coffee table. He reached for them, stretching.

“Daddy! Post-It notes!”

Grateful for anything that stopped the tears, Lafayette handed the notes to John.

“Pen!”

John demanded. Lafayette raised his eyebrows.

“Sorry Daddy. Pen, please?”

“What are you doing, little one?”

Lafayette stretched for a marker, and handed it to John, watching him curiously.

Humming with satisfaction, John scrawled “I’m sorry” on a post it note, peeled it off, and scrawled “I love you” on a second note. Then, he wriggled out of Lafayette’s lap and disappeared down the hall. Laf heard him knock on Alex’s door, held his breath hoping Alex wouldn’t respond with anger, and then John was back, crawling into Lafayette’s arms once more, and cuddling close.

“What did you do, baby boy?”

Lafayette kissed John’s forehead, hugged him tight.

“Put notes on Papi’s door.”

John murmured against Laf’s chest. Laf smiled, melting.

“You’re so smart little one, good thinking.”

“I’m a good boy?”

“You’re a good boy.”

Lafayette was about to pull up Netflix to find a movie for John to watch when he heard Alex’s door open. Alex appeared in the living room, a post it note on his finger tip, looked a little uncertain. Lafayette smiled softly, and tapped John’s hip so he’d look up.

“Papi! Papi I’m sorry, I love you!”

John was off Lafayette like a shot, barrelling into Alex with such force he almost knocked them both over. Alex hugged him back, then pulled back just enough to stick the post it note on John’s forehead. Smoothed it down with a thumb, and kissed John softly.

“I love you too baby boy, and I'm sorry.”

John’s quiet giggle warmed Lafayette’s heart.

“Papi’s silly.”


	23. I'd Scream It From The Rooftops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Ways to say I love you
> 
> 3\. A Scream

John couldn’t sleep, restless in the summer night. He couldn’t get comfortable, twisting and turning in the sheets between Lafayette and Alex. He rolled over again with a sigh, and accidentally elbowed Alex in the ribs.

“Johnnnnn.”

Alex whined sleepily.

“Sorry Papi.”

John whispered back. He nuzzled close, burying his face in Alex’s chest

“You okay baby boy?”

John shook his head, whining softly against Alex’s chest.

“Can’t sleep.”

Insecurity was gnawing at him, insidious and hard to shake.

“Wanna get up for a bit?”

John chewed at his lower lip, felt bad for keeping Alex awake, but…

“Yeah.”

Alex slipped out of bed without any hesitation, reached for John’s hands as John got up too. They padded quietly out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Alex kept his hand on John’s lower back, and John stayed close, loving the contact, the slightly secretive air about the night that was reminiscent of their early days, making out on the couch and trying to stay quiet so Lafayette could sleep, before they’d become a trio…

Alex grinned sidelong at him, sharing his thoughts, and John couldn’t help a small smile.

“Hey, grab a blanket, I have an idea.”

John blinked, and hurried to do what he was told, wondering what the heck Alex had in mind. He gathered up the comforter from ‘his’ bed, rarely used, and rejoined Alex in the kitchen. He watched him finish filling a water bottle with the last of the strawberry mint lemonade Laf had made earlier in the week. Tucked a box of cheezits under his arm, and grabbed John’s hand.

“Let’s go!”

John let Alex lead him out of the apartment, barefoot and dressed only in briefs and a tank top…

“What the hell Alex where are we going? I don’t have shoes on?”

Alex just laughed at him, dragging him down the hallway. Insecurities forgotten, John let himself be dragged.

“Don’t need them.”

They reached the end of the hall and Alex turned to John with a wicked grin, pushed the door open to the stairwell, dragged John in behind him. Paused for a searing kiss, then John found himself following Alex up to the roof of the buildings, climbing out into the hot, starry night.

“Did I know we could get up here?”

He looked around, taking in the cityscape, lit up by lights. There was a breeze up here that felt so good in the hot night, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, just ink and stars.

“Well, we’re technically not allowed but…”

Alex shrugged, and spread the blanket out on the ground. Sat down and patted beside him. With a shake of his head, John sat beside him. Alex wrapped an arm around his shoulders and John curled into him, let his head fall to Alex’s shoulder with a sigh.

Silence, soft and sweet, settled over them like a blanket. Beneath it, John’s worries stirred in his gut. He let Alex pull him backwards to lie down, nestled in each other’s arms with their eyes on the sky. Alex pointed out a couple of constellations – big dipper, Orion, little dipper. John pointed out a couple more – Cygnus, Hercules, Scorpius.

“Show off.”

Alex teased. Soft kiss. More silence.

They shared the lemonade back and forth, sweet kisses in between, the taste of strawberry and summer on Alex’s tongue.

“What’s bugging you, babe?”

Alex asked softly.

John shook his head, buried his face in Alex’s neck.

“Just… nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Hey. It’s not nothing if you’re worried about it.”

John sighed, pulled back to search Alex’s face.

“I just… do you really love me Alex? You and Laf? Like, forever forever?”

Alex’s sharp inhale made him wince, return his head to the crook of Alex’s arm. He hated that he needed the reassurance, that he had to ask, more than once, every so often, when that niggling doubt crept in. Not truly of Alex and Laf’s love, but of his own worthiness of it.

“Forever, ever, ever, John.”

He whispered.

“Promise?”

John looked up, voice small. Saw nothing but love and care in Alex’s face. Felt nothing but devotion in the kiss he pressed to his lips.

“Promise. I love you so much, I’d put it on a billboard so you saw it every time you drove by, I’d put it on a subway ad, so you’d see it every day. I’d get a plane and write it in the sky, I’d shout it from the rooftops… in fact…”

Cheeky grin, and before John registered what was happening, Alex was up off the blanket, jogging over to the edge of the roof and climbing up on to the edge. John pushed himself up on his elbow, torn between worry that Alex would fall, and amusement at his antics.

“Jesus Christ be careful Alex-“

“I LOVE JOHN LAURENS!”

He was cut off by Alex’s holler, shouting as loud as he could with his hands cupped around his mouth. John blushed a deep red, laughing despite himself.

“Alexander! Get down!”

He hissed.

“No. I will not.”

Alex twisted to stick his tongue out at John, then turned back around, took a deep breath-

“Alex!”

“I LOVE JOHN LAURENS!”

John was reduced to a helpless, giggling heap, tears in his eyes at how ridiculous and sweet Alex was being, standing on the edge of their building in his briefs and a thin T-shirt for all the world to see.

“… and what about me, mon chou?”

John startled at Lafayette’s voice, turned to see him leaning on the doorframe, arms folded across his chest, a smirk on his face.

Alex took another deep breath, grinning like a fool, and shouted-

“I LOVE MARIE-JOSEPH PAUL YVES ROCH GILBERT DU MOTIER, MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE!”

Dropped back off the ledge of the building, fake gasping for breath, and stumbled over to the blanket, flopping down half on top of John, all three of them overcome with giddy laughter.

Alex kissed John, quick and sure.

“Convinced?”

John’s heart warmed, and he couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

“Yes.”

He whispered back.

Then Lafayette was there too, stretching out gracefully on John’s other side and laying a possessive hand on his hip, making him shiver.

“And what are my two naughty boys doing up on the roof in the middle of the night in their underwear, hmm?”

Lafayette’s voice a low purr, laced with promise, had both Alex and John snapping to breathless attention immediately.

“It was Alex’s idea.”

John whispered, leaning in against Lafayette’s chest and peering up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“Hey!”

Alex swatted his shoulder. John turned his head, stuck his tongue out at Alex. In turn, Alex pinched his hip, just enough to make John yelp, and they both collapsed into another fit of laughter, Lafayette shaking his head as he looked on.

“John couldn’t sleep, Laf, so we snuck up here to look at the stars!”

Alex stretched across John to nuzzle at Laf’s stomach entreatingly, mostly just succeeded in collapsing onto them, and Lafayette sighed.

“You are both very naughty, but I am feeling generous, and you are both too adorable, so…”

He shrugged. Kissed first John, then Alex, and cuddled them close.

Tangled with Lafayette and Alex, John finally relaxed. Head pillowed on Laf’s chest, Alex splayed across his lap, he let his gaze drift back up to the stars. Laf stretched down, kissed the top of his head. Stroked his hand over Alex’s hair. John’s gaze met Alex’s, and he smiled softly, wondered how he could have ever doubted.


	24. I'll Keep You Warm When It's Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Ways to say "I love you"
> 
> "Too Quick, Mumbled Into Your Scarf"
> 
> for heartlesslynx <3

Alex was sulking.

He knew it, but he couldn’t help it. It was _cold_ outside.

Lafayette and John had dragged him out in the snow to go sledding, bribing him with the promise of hot coffee, but he really didn’t want to be out here.

He sat on a bench near the bottom of the hill, huddled in on himself, hot coffee long gone, indulgent mood also long gone. He sat on the bench, shivering and feeling forgotten as Lafayette and John raced down the hill on crazy carpets, climbed back up, and repeated, over and over and over…

Finally, they wandered back over to him, crazy carpets gifted to two children playing on the sidelines.

“How is mon chou?”

Lafayette offered Alex a hand up, which Alex ignored, standing on his own and keeping his hands tucked under his armpits grumpily.

“Cold. Can we go now?”

John rolled his eyes and nudged Alex playfully, cheeks rosy from cold and exertion.

“You wouldn’t be cold if you’d tobogganed with us.”

He teased, sticking his tongue out.

Alex just scowled.

Lafayette’s arm settled around his shoulders and tugged him close, and they started off towards the subway.

“Don’t be so put out, mon chou.”

Lafayette kissed the top of Alex’s head, and John fell into step on the other side of him, tucking a hand into Alex’s elbow since he refused to uncross his arms to take John’s hand.

Alex buried his nose deeper into his scarf and huffed, still shivering. He hated the cold, hated how it got right into his bones and settled there, impossible to shake. His Caribbean blood protested winters in New York.

They made it onto the subway, headed for home, and Alex huddled into a seat. John cuddled in beside him, snuck a kiss to his cheek. Alex glared, but couldn’t help the beginning of a smile. He couldn’t stay grumpy at Laf and John for long.

“Love you, baby girl.”

Alex huffed in response, nose still buried in his scarf.

“C’mon…”

John nudged Alex with his shoulder again, grinning.

Alex stayed stubbornly silent.

John nudged him again, kissed his cheek again, Lafayette looking on with a soft smile, standing right by them.

“Love you, baby girl.”

John said again.

Alex sighed.

“LoveyoutooJohn.”

Mumbled grudgingly into his scarf, but John grinned triumphantly all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> keep an eye out, a smutty part 2 to come.


	25. We're Going To The Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> how about you, you, you?
> 
> :)
> 
> Prompt from an Anon on tumblr <3
> 
> Set @ Central Park Zoo - I have been here once many many years ago, so all details in the fic are from old memory and the zoo's website, apologies for any inaccuracies :)

John held tightly to Laf’s hand as he was guided down the street, eyes closed, Alex beside him on his other side watching like a hawk – pinched his hip once already when he’d tried to sneak a peak at where they were going.

“Okay mon cher, open your eyes!”

John opened his eyes, and found himself looking right at a sea lion. The sleek, dark brown animal was perched on a rock, looking right back at him. John gave a wordless shout of delight, head whipping around to gape open mouthed at Laf and Alex.

“A SEA LION! What- Where- WE’RE AT THE ZOO!?”

He’d been begging to go for months. Alex had griped and complained, and Laf had said sure, okay, maybe some day. Some day hadn’t ever rolled around, the zoo never making it to the top of their priority list. John brought it up occasionally, but sensing a lack of enthusiasm from both of his boyfriends, had stopped pressing the issue.

John leaned over the railing, stretching for a closer look. The sea lions dove and swam, in and out of the water, their wet bodies shining in the sun. One leaped out of the water right in front of them, graceful arc through the air that made John gasp with delight before it splashed back in with a flick of its tail, sending droplets of water through the air. John laughed, wiping splashes off his face with his hand, and grinned from ear to ear.

“This is incredible! Look at them! They’re amazing!”

He turned to his boyfriends, Laf snapping photos of the sea lions, and Alex watching John with a smile on his face.

“They are, mon cher.”

Alex handed John the zoo map.

“Who would you like to see next?”

“All of them!”

Alex laughed, and they watched the sea lions for a moment more before heading towards the tropic zone. It couldn’t have been a more perfect day, late summer, the sun high in a clear sky. They meandered through the Tropic Zone, colourful birds perched in the trees, the air humid and warm. The black and white lemurs were sleepy, lazy about in the trees, and a large snake dozed beneath a sun lamp. From there, they made their way through the rest of the exhibits, Laf snapping photos the whole way. They watched the red pandas play, the snow leopards lounge, and John was entranced by the pig nosed turtles, would have stayed there and watched them for hours if Alex hadn’t whined that he was hungry.

They left the zoo, John’s hand slipping into Alex’s to squeeze lovingly. Leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thank you babygirl, this was amazing!”

Alex smiled, and John’s heart warmed. He was so lucky.

“Hey, what about me?”

Laf pouted, walking on John’s other side, not touching.

John stuck his tongue out at Laf, and grinned.

“You too my love, you too.”


	26. Don't You Let Me Drown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> anon on tumblr mentioned this to one_golden_sun:
> 
> "The Trio is doing some cleaning and finds a box of stuff from Alexs home on the island. Pictures, old diaries, a ratty old stuffed animal. It brings up some emotions. His lovers help him through it."
> 
> I had to.

Alex was in the kitchen, cleaning out and organizing the pantry. Spring cleaning had been Laf’s idea, and they’d been at it for the better part of the day now. Alex was hot, and tired, and ready to throw in the towel. He was almost done in the kitchen, putting their dry goods back into the cupboards in an orderly fashion – cereal all lined up in alphabetical order, different types of pasta in neatly labelled containers, rice, flour, etc…

He had to admit there was something satisfying about it, the instant gratification of organization.

But that didn’t mean he wanted to spend his whole day doing it.

Laf was a force of nature, though, working away and singing along to the music that blared through the apartment, his hair pulled into a bun on the top of his head.

John went willingly along with it, more patient than Alex, and eager to just have this endeavour done and over with.

So Alex kept working away, bored and hot and ready to do anything but this…

Maybe he could convince John and Laf to take a break…

With a sigh, Alex put the last of the spices away, and closed the cabinets up. He wandered back to the master bedroom where he knew John was working on the closet, knew of at least one sure fire way to distract John from cleaning…

Froze in the doorway, felt doused in ice water.

“What are you doing with that?”

He hissed, heart plummeting. John was sitting on the floor, a worn shoe box in his lap, lid off. The box was empty, contents spilled over the carpet in front of John, and Alex felt eviscerated.

In his hand, John held two photos, the rest splayed in front of him. A small plush dolphin, worse for wear, and three notebooks, battered, but still in one piece.

Alex’s life from the island, spread out on the bedroom floor.

John looked up, paling a bit at the look on Alex’s face.

“I didn’t know you had this, baby…”

Cautious, brown eyes wide with worry. He set the photos in his hand back into the box and set it down.

Alex took a step back, heart hammering in his throat. He’d carted the box with him his whole life, but never opened it, never looked in. Just carted it from home to home, shoved it into the first dark corner that presented itself, and left it there to linger in the dark. He’d never shared it with anyone, barely acknowledged its existence to himself, but couldn’t bear to leave it behind.

Storm torn and ravaged roots were still roots, after all.

“Put it back, what the hell do you think you’re doing with that, who gave you the right?!”

Vicious, angry words but he couldn’t see past the fear, the pain, the unexpected ripping of stitches in wounds that had never fully healed.

“Alex I didn’t know what was in it…”

John stood up, stepped towards him.

“You should have asked!”

Alex hissed, backing up, blind with pain, blind with anger, couldn’t breathe with his past spread out across the floor.

“Alexander?”

Lafayette emerged from the ensuite bathroom, confused look on his face.

“Alex I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“

“You should have stopped. Once you realized what it was you should have just put it back-“

“Mon chou you are not being fair-“

“Of course you’d take his side!-“

“Alex I’m sorry-“

“Just don’t John!”

Alex whirled, couldn’t stand to be in the room anymore, and fled into his own room, door slammed behind him.

He felt choked, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t be still. Sat on the bed for a moment and immediately got up again. He paced the room, back and forth, felt trapped by the sudden messy invasion of everything he’d tried to forget, bury, leave behind. He ignored a knock on the door, paced back and forth and back and forth, tried to swallow his heart back down into his chest where it belonged. Unwanted memories flooded through him. Hunger. Sickness. Poverty. The hurricane. A life so different from Laf and John’s that the shame of it nearly cut him off at the knees time and time and time again. Loneliness, deep and sharp and so vast he’d been on guard for it the entire rest of his life…

Another knock on the door.

“Mon chou? Alexander? May I come in, please?”

Laf, god…

Before Laf, he’d never thought he’d know love, certainly not like this.

But how could they possibly keep loving him when he was so weak, so easily undone?

He paced, back and forth, back and forth, heart in his throat, nothing at all in his trembling hands.

How could they possibly keep loving him if he kept shutting them out?

He swallowed hard, took a deep breath.

“Okay.”

His voice shook, his hands shook, he tugged at his hair, so keyed up he couldn’t stop moving, not even for a second.

Laf opened the door and slipped inside.

“Mon chou, may John come in too?”

Alex shook his head. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes.

“No.”

He whispered. Not yet.

Laf glanced behind him, slight shake of his head, and shut the door.

“Alex, you are not being fair-“

“If you came in here just to tell me off you can turn around and go right back out.”

Alex snarled, glaring at Laf, cornered and shaking with pain, almost wild with it.

Laf said nothing for a long moment, then opened his arms. An invitation. Warmth. Love. Safety.

“Come here mon chou, sil vous plait.”

Laf didn’t come closer, just stayed where he was, arms open, waiting.

“You’re not on his side?”

“It is not about sides, my love. I know it must have surprised you, to see that without warning. I know it must have hurt…”

A pause, and then Alex was in Laf’s arms in a rush, holding him tight, face buried in his neck.

“Shh, it’s alright mon chou. We’ve got you.”

Lafayette guided Alex carefully over to the bed, sat down and pulled him close.

Alex curled up against Laf, small and vulnerable against him, caught between then and now, loneliness and love and fear. A sob escaped him and he pressed closer with a whimper.

“Don’t create walls where there are none.”

Lafayette rubbed Alex’s back, and Alex choked back tears.

“I love you Alexander. No matter what has happened or will happen this will always be true.”

Lafayette kissed the side of his head, and Alex let out a shuddering sigh, the tension beginning to ebb from his body little by little.

“I’m sorry I’m so fucking weak.”

He mumbled, broken down and exhausted. 

“Non, mon chou. You are not weak. You went through very hard things when you were very young and survived them. Alexander you are the strongest person I know.”

“But I-“

“But nothing. You went through trauma, and you were only a child. You wouldn’t be human if it didn’t affect you, especially if you weren’t expecting to encounter a reminder.”

Lafayette’s voice was gentle, and Alex sniffled, hugging Laf tighter.

“Mon chou, may John join us now?”

Laf asked softly. Alex nodded against his neck.

“Please.”

Laf pulled out his phone, texted John with one hand, kept the other wrapped tight around Alex. A moment later the door opened and John sat quietly on the bed beside Alex. 

“Babygirl, I’m sorry. I should have put it away when I realized what it was and asked you about it…”

John touched a tentative hand to Alex’s shoulder.

Alex unglued from Lafayette to curl against John, hugging him close, tucking his head against John’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry too. You couldn’t have known what was in there.”

John wrapped his arms around Alex, held him tight and safe, and Alex melted against him, the last of the tension seeping away. 

“Maybe we can look at it together someday? When you’re ready?”

John suggested gently. Alex nodded against him, and then Lafayette was hugging them too, and there was nothing but love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't proofread I'm cross eyed from formatting my novel.


	27. Close Your Eyes & Leap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ways to say "I love you"
> 
> "Before We Jump"

Alex grumbled, climbing up the steep dirt trail behind John, hand trapped in John’s firm grip.

“When I agreed to come to the beach this was not what I had in mind…”

Beaches were for relaxing in the sun, drink in hand and cigar in mouth, the sun and the sand and a good book and a nap. Not climbing up trails and leaping off cliffs like some sort of crazy masochist.

But John had whined, and pouted, and Lafayette had laughed at Alex and asked if he was scared. Which he wasn’t, of course.

Definitely not.

Not at all.

He’d shot back that Laf should do it, then, but John had shut that idea firmly down. Lafayette, while coming along slowly under John’s tutelage, was not a good enough swimmer for this yet. So he stayed down on the small strip of beach at the edge of the quarry, lounging on a beach blanket, and waiting for them to come back.

So Alex climbed behind John, and okay, the view on the way up wasn’t so bad, John in front of him dressed in those sinfully cheeky green shorts he’d bought for their trip to Disney…

“Ready?”

John turned, grinning at Alex when they reached the top.

Alex huffed, looking put out. This was already far more exertion than he’d anticipated for the day.

“No.”

“C’mon, it’s perfectly safe. We can jump together.”

John smiled sweetly, and Alex sighed, relenting. It wasn’t _that_ high, and the water was deep and clear and perfectly safe, but none of that stopped Alex’s heart from beating faster in his chest when they approached the edge.

Lafayette blew them a kiss from his spot on the beach.

Alex turned to John one more time, trying not to look at the drop from here to the water. It wasn’t that high, but it was certainly higher than he would ever have cared to jump from.

“Do we have to?”

John laughed and kissed Alex instead of answering. It was the right move. Alex melted, kissed John back, hey maybe they could just stay up here and make out? Laughed against John’s mouth when he heard Lafayette wolf whistle from the beach.

“Yes. C’mon baby girl, you can do it. I’ll hold your hand the whole way down.”

John gave Alex’s hand a squeeze.

“3…”

“I hate you, John Laurens.”

“2…”

Alex took a deep breath, heart hammering wildly.

“I love you, baby girl.”

Alex gave John a tense smile in response, gripped his hand tighter.

“1!”

John jumped, and Alex had no choice but to jump too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shameless reference to one_golden_sun's Disney fic in here ;)


	28. You're My Lighthouse When It's Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ways to say "I Love You"
> 
> 20\. As we huddle together, storm raging outside
> 
> for heartlesslynx

Lightning split the sky with brilliant white light, and a loud clap of thunder shook the world.

Alex sat bolt upright in bed, breath held, eyes wide, every muscle poised and tight.

For a long moment nothing happened, then the rain started, lashing against the bedroom windows with fierce intent to take the world apart. Lightning split the night again, followed by deafening thunder. Alex’s heart tried to jump out his throat, and his hands anchored in fistfuls of sheet, gripping tightly. A whimper of terror escaped him.

“Alex?”

John murmured beside him, shifting sleepily and reaching out.

Another roll of thunder crossed the sky.

Alex flinched, breathing out sharply through his nose as it got harder and harder to convince his lungs to fill with air.

“Oh shit.”

Then John was there, sitting up and shifting to hop over Alex and settle on his other side, so that Alex was in the middle.

“Hey. It’s okay baby girl, we’re right here.”

Alex barely registered the words, fear flooding in an blocking everything out, taking him right back to all those years ago. Storm raging, debris flying, and Alex alone.

John’s arms slid around him and held him close as he started to shake, and Alex tucked against him, shoving his head under John’s chin. Safe. Warm. Protected. Not alone.

Lafayette grumbled as another loud clap of thunder rolled through the sky, and went from half asleep to fully awake in a split second.

“Alex?”

“Right here Laf.”

John shoved Alex gently over, scooting closer to the middle of the bed, and Lafayette. Helpless and tense in John’s arms, Alex struggled to breathe, struggled to stay in the here and now, where he was safe and loved and not alone, when every streak of lightning, clap of thunder, dragged him further back towards the hurricane.

Lafayette reached out, wrapped his arms around Alex too, kissed his shoulder.

“Mon chou, we’re here.”

Another peal of thunder and Alex yelped, and whined, dissolving into tears against John’s neck.

“Shhh, baby girl. Let’s lay back down…”

John’s voice soft in his ear. Alex let them guide him back down to the blankets, stayed burrowed against John the entire time, and then Lafayette was pressed against his back, folding him in between them, keeping him sheltered.

“I can’t breathe.”

Alex whined through his tears, heart racing, lungs on fire, and he was sure his heart was about to explode.

“Yes you can, mon chou.”

Laf’s voice cut into his panic, grounding. Firm and low, but not at all unkind.

“Like this, copy me.”

And Laf breathed deep, and so did John, and Alex tried to follow but choked on a sob. John’s hand stroked over his head, soft kiss on his forehead.

“Again, you can do it mon chou.”

Breathed deep again, and this time Alex followed.

“Good. I love you, mon chou. We are here, we will not leave you alone in this storm.”


	29. Oh Baby, You Could Devastate Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anon request for a very!sick Laf.
> 
> Thank you very much for requesting a one-shot <3 <3 <3

Laf didn’t get sick often, and when he did, he usually bounced back fast.

This was different. 

Alex sat in bed, Laf’s head in his lap, absently stroking the sweaty curls back off his too hot forehead. Laf was asleep, sort of. His breathing was laboured, sheen of sweat over his entire body. He alternated hot and cold, kicking the soaked sheets off one moment, and shivering uncontrollably the next. 

Alex had never seen Laf so sick. He felt powerless, unable to do anything to help his boyfriend. 

“How’s he doing?”

John appeared in the doorway, voice low, soft smile meant to reassure Alex. 

“The same. Johnnn…”

Alex whined, voice and body tight with worry. 

John crossed the room quietly and pressed the back of his hand to Laf’s forehead. He leaned in and gave Alex a quick kiss, stroked a hand over his head. 

“He’ll be okay, it’s just the flu. We’ll try to get some more fluids into him again in a bit.”

Alex looked up at John, desperate for some sort of reassurance. How could John stay so calm? He didn’t seem worried at all, while Alex was floundering. 

“Last time we tried that he just threw it up.”

John cupped Alex’s face in his hands, their eyes meeting. Alex took a deep breath, worrying at his lower lip with his teeth. John stroked his thumb over Alex’s mouth, tugging his lower lip from between his teeth. 

“I know. But we need to keep him hydrated. He’ll be alright, I promise.”

Alex nodded, had to believe John, who had more experience with these things having grown up with younger siblings. But then Lafayette groaned in his lap, and curled up, shivering and sweating, and Alex’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. 

John adjusted the blankets over Laf, bent down and kissed his forehead.

“Shh Laf, we’re right here.”

John’s steady hands held them all together, and Alex knew he’d have been lost without him here, would have probably called an ambulance ages ago. He couldn’t handle it when Laf was sick.

“Baby girl, you should get out of here for a bit, take a break. I’ll stay with Laf.”

Alex shook his head, knew John was right and he should get out of the bedroom for a couple of hours just to reset, but he didn’t want to leave Laf when he was so unwell…

“Yes, go on. Out. We need more ginger ale and Gatorade anyways, and I was thinking we could try chicken broth, see if he’ll keep that down. Can you run down to the store?”

John moved around the bed as he talked, slid in next to Alex and carefully prompted Laf to roll over, transferring his head into John’s lap. 

“You’re just trying to get rid of me.”

Alex pouted, eyes narrowed. 

“Yes, I am. Go. I don’t want to see you for at least an hour, you need a break.”

John stroked Laf’s shoulder soothingly, and raised his eyebrows at Alex pointedly until he huffed and got out of bed. 

“Fine, fine. But you promise you’ll call me if anything changes?”

Alex swapped his sweatpants for jeans and pulled a hoodie on over his tank top, cast one last glance over his shoulder at John and Laf.

“Promise. Love you, Alex. Now get out.”

John made a shooing motion at him with his free hand, and Alex left. He knew John was right, knew a short break would do him good even if he didn’t want to leave Laf’s side. 

-

Alex returned armed with medicine, chicken broth, three flavours of Gatorade, gingerale, saltine crackers, goldfish crackers, applesauce, bread, electrolyte tablets, and a bouquet of flowers. He put the flowers in a vase and heated a mug of broth, then carried both into the bedroom with him. 

“How’s he doing?”

John looked up from where he lay curled loosely against Laf, and covered a yawn with the back of his hand. 

“Same. I took his temperature again… no change.”

Was that a hitch of worry in John’s voice? Alex set the flowers and the mug down on the bedside table and perched on the edge of the bed. 

Laf shifted over, nuzzled against Alex’s thigh, blankets kicked off again. 

“Hey Laf. Think you can drink some chicken broth?”

Alex stroked a hand over Laf’s head, smiled gently when he pushed himself up on an elbow, responded in French, said he’d try. Alex held the mug to his lips, helped him take a few sips, and put it back. 

“We’ll try a bit more in a bit, okay? Make sure it stays down…”

Laf nodded and let his head drop to Alex’s lap again. 

-

Five minutes later, Alex was holding Laf’s hair back while John held a large bowl under his chin and the chicken broth made its reappearance. 

-

None of them slept a wink that night. Laf tossed and turned, his fever climbing. Alex and John sat up, trying to keep Laf comfortable, exchanging worried glances over his head. 

“We’re going to the hospital in the morning.”

Alex’s heart skipped a beat at John’s words, the tight worry in his voice. Dread filled his stomach, and John’s soft kiss to his forehead did nothing to reassure him. 

“He’s going to be okay, right?”

Fear choked him, made his words come too small and quiet. John nodded. 

“Yes, he is. He needs fluids though, and we can’t get him to keep anything down.”

“You’re worried, though.”

Alex pointed out, searching John’s face for some strength he could hold onto. 

“Yeah. He’s really sick. But he’s going to be fine.”

John leaned over, caressed Alex’s face, kissed him lightly. 

Alex caught John’s hand, twined their fingers together. Squeezed. Took a deep breath when John squeezed back. Laf shifted between them, groaning low in his throat and murmuring in delirious French. 

“What’s he saying?”

John let go of Alex to change the wet cloth on Laf’s forehead for a new, cool one. 

“Nothing that makes sense.”

Alex chewed his lower lip, anxious. 

John didn’t stop him this time. 

-

Exhaustion tugged at Alex as the sun started to rise. John lay curled up on the other side of Laf, face against Laf’s upper back, having finally fallen asleep half an hour ago. Both of his boyfriends were resting peacefully, finally, and Alex was loathe to disturb them. 

He let his hand rest on Laf’s head lightly, scrolling through Twitter on his phone. Not absorbing a single thing he scrolled past. 

“Alex?”

Laf shifted in his lap, and Alex set his phone down, looked down at Laf. 

“Hey. How’re you feeling?”

Laf responded with a weak smile, gazing up at Alex sleepily, but looking as if he actually saw him for the first time in days.

“Tired. But… better.”

He nosed at Alex’s hip, draped an arm over Alex’s legs. 

“Want to try some Gatorade?”

Laf nodded, and Alex helped him drink a few sips, then put it back, ignoring the small sound of protest Laf made.

“No babe. In a bit, if it stays down, okay?”

Alex leaned down, kissed Laf’s forehead, relieved to find it dry and warm, but not hot. 

“Okay.”

“Laf?”

John stirred, head popping up over Laf’s shoulder. 

“Hello mon cher.”

Laf turned to smile tiredly at John, and John grinned sleepily back. 

“Welcome back. Let’s take your temperature… we may not have to go to the hospital after all.”

John sat up and stretched across Laf and Alex to snag the thermometer. Popped it in Laf’s mouth and shushed his sounds of protest. Shared a long look of relief with Alex over Laf’s head. The thermometer beeped, and Alex sagged with relief when John proclaimed Laf’s fever gone. 

“Hospital? My loves, surely I wasn’t that ill?”

Laf looked between them, confusion furrowing his brow. 

“You were.”

John said. Alex nodded.

“Oh. I am so sorry, my loves…”

Laf trailed off as both Alex and John shushed him. 

“Don’t apologize, Laf.”

Alex scolded gently. 

Laf nodded, and sank back down into the bed, turning to nuzzle into John’s chest, arm around his waist. 

John kissed the top of his head, opened his arm to invite Alex into the cuddle too, and all three of them fell asleep, tangled tightly together under the weight of the white duvet, and relief.


	30. We'll All Float On Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anon prompt for a sunburnt John.

John had known he was in trouble the moment he woke up, slightly dizzy and too hot. He’d spent the day at Rockaway beach with a book since both Laf and Alex were working. It was too nice of a day to spend inside…

…or awake, apparently.

He’d fallen asleep at some point, book on his chest. Sitting up now, John shut the book and put it to the side, rubbed a hand over his face and yawned. His phone buzzed in his backpack and he fumbled sleepily for it.

**Laf <3:** mon cher where are you?

Shit.

It was way later than he’d planned to stay here.

**John:** Fell asleep at the beach. Coming home now.

He gathered up his stuff and tugged his t-shirt back on. Picked up his backpack and hissed a little when it hit his shoulder. He’d put sunscreen on when he’d arrived, but that was long gone now.

-

By the time John walked through the apartment door, he was ready to climb out of his skin. Everything burned, burned, burned. He felt loose and loopy from the sun and the heat, ready to fall down on the cool sheets and sleep some more.

“John! There you are.”

Before John could protest, Lafayette swept him up in a tight hug, kissed the side of his head. John whimpered in pain, tried to pull away. Laf let him go immediately.

“Little one what’s wrong?”

“I got a little sunburnt…”

John kicked off his flip flops and dropped his backpack in the entry way to deal with later, peering sheepishly up at Laf.

“Oh I’m sorry John, you should have said before I grabbed you. Come on, lets get you some aloe. Why did you not put on sunscreen, my love?”

John let Laf usher him down the hall into the master bathroom, too dopey from the sun to protest. He sat on the edge of the tub and tugged his shirt off over his head, dropping it on the floor.

“Holy shit Jack, you’re glowing.”

Alex appeared in the doorway, eyes wide at the sight of John’s burnt skin.

“I fell asleep.”

John whined, bracing his hands on the edge of the tub for balance.

Behind him, Laf was starting a bath, adding a few drops of lavender essential oil to help soothe the burn.

“In you get, mon cher.”

John stood, swaying slightly, and stripped out of his shorts. He braced a hand on Laf’s shoulder and stepped into the tub, then sat down carefully. The cool water stung, and then immediately soothed the heat. John sighed in relief and sagged back into the tub, eyes closed.

“I brought you some of that weird coconut shit.”

Alex reappeared at the side of the tub with a coconut water, straw already poked through the foil. John smiled tiredly and accepted it, taking a sip. The electrolytes would be good for him, he knew.

“What was on your chest?”

Alex sat on the floor next to John’s head while Laf perched on the edge of the tub.

“Huh?”

John looked down, and couldn’t help but laugh. Right in the center of his brilliantly red chest was a rectangle of unburnt skin where the book had rested.

“A book.”

Alex laughed softly, and Laf just shook his head.

“Little one you need to be more careful. It does not do to have you burnt to a crisp.”

He chided gently, dipping his fingers into the cool water and splashing John teasingly.

John smiled back, and closed his eyes again, let his head rest against the tub.

“Don’t fall asleep baby boy.”

Alex murmured. He worked his finger tips into John’s hair and scratched gently at his scalp. John sighed in appreciation and sank lower into the water, drifting towards sleep despite Alex’s words. He felt a million times better in the cool water, slowly sipping at the coconut water, Alex’s fingers massaging his scalp.

“I’m sleepy though, Papi.”

John murmured, opening his eyes to blink tiredly at Alex.

“Snack first, mon cher. Then you can have a nap.”

John nodded, let his eyes close again. He drifted somewhere between asleep and awake, trusting Alex and Laf not to let him slip under. The cool, lavender scented water went a long way towards soothing his burnt skin.

He mumbled a weak protest when Laf finally prompted him out of the tub and wrapped him carefully in a soft, fluffy towel.

“May I put some aloe on you, my love?”

Laf kissed John’s forehead. John nodded and dropped his forehead to Laf’s chest, wanted to slump against him but knew it would hurt.

“Come, let’s lie down.”

Laf’s arm around his waist, carefully avoiding his burnt front. John let himself be guided to the bed, and could have cried in relief when he stretched out on his back on the cool sheets. The blinds had been drawn, the room cool and dark.

“How’re you feeling?”

Laf settled on the bed next to him. Soft snap of the aloe bottle opening.

John inhaled sharply when Laf squirted the cold liquid out onto his chest.

“Tired, kinda out of it.”

John shivered when Laf smoothed the aloe gel over his too hot skin, large hands gentle.

Alex reappeared, settled on John’s other side.

“Sit up babe. I brought you some grapes.”

Laf finished with the aloe and sat back so John could sit up and lean into the curve of his arm.

John let Alex feed him the grapes by hand, then curled up carefully on his side, pillow tucked under his head.

“I’m going to go start dinner, call me if you need anything, mon cher?”

Lafayette kissed the top of John’s head, and John nodded, sleep already tugging him back down.

Alex moved to get up and John caught his wrist.

“Stay.”

He didn’t want to be alone, felt all foggy headed and adrift. Alex shifted and lay down instead, face to face with John.

“Of course. I’ll be right here.”

Twined their fingers together and squeezed gently.


	31. I Wanna Wake Up Where You Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I was hoping that maybe you could write a post wisdom teeth surgery john, as I had mine taken out a couple days ago and while the first day was fun loopy, it's just been painful since❤️❤️❤️" 
> 
> Prompt from an anon on tumblr.
> 
> 2 things you should know:
> 
> 1\. I based this heavily off my recent wisdom teeth surgey, which was on the more minor end of the scale.  
> 2\. I stuff my mouth full of paper towel so I could accurately pronounce John's sentences and replicate it for you in this fic.

John floated back up to consciousness on a pleasant hum of white static.

He opened his eyes, blinking under the bright light of the recovery room. Alex was sitting in a chair near his head, reading a book. Blearily, John reached out for him, pawing ineffectively at the air. He tried to say his name, but it came out more like “Alethh.”

Frowning, John’s hand landed on his face, pawing around. What was in his mouth? He grabbed at it, went to pull it out.

“No baby boy, don’t touch.”

Alex shifted over, smiled warmly, and captured both of John’s hands in his own.

John whined, and Alex leaned over to kiss his head.

“How’re you feeling?”

“Futhy. Where’th my feef?”

John tugged his hand back from Alex and reached out for his soft green t-shirt instead, curling his fingers in it and holding on.

“Gone baby.”

Alex’s hand smoothed over his forehead, and John frowned, tugged on Alex’s shirt.

“All of 'em?!”

“No baby, just your wisdom teeth.”

Alex laughed a little, kept smoothing his hand over John’s forehead. Whining, John leaned into the touch, the flimsy paper under him crinkling.

“I’m not wisthe a'ymore.”

He wanted off this bed, wanted to curl up in Alex’s lap where it was warm and safe and a space that belonged to him. His head felt foggy and he wanted to nap, but not here.

“You’re still wise.”

Alex kissed his forehead and John leaned into it. Tried to sit up and whimpered when Alex pushed him back down.

“I want to see my feef.”

“You can’t John, they’re gone.”

“But they’re mine.”

John pouted. He let go of Alex’s shirt and reached for the gauze again, wanted it out of his mouth. Alex’s hand caught his wrist before he got there and twined their fingers together again.

The door opened and Laf came in, smiling brightly when he noticed John was awake.

“Mon cher! How are you feeling!”

Laf was at his side in an instant, touching his arm, leaning in to kiss the side of his head.

John struggled to sit up again, and was pushed down right away.

“They stole my feef Laf!”

“Little one you must be quiet, your mouth will stop bleeding quicker if you don’t talk, and then we can take your gauze out.”

John frowned, watched Laf pull up a chair and sit down.

“’m bleeding?”

“Yes little one. Where your teeth were. Maybe Alexander can read to you from his book until we are allowed to take you home, would that help you be quiet?”

Laf’s hand stroked up and down John’s arm, and John nodded. He reached out for Laf’s hand, tangled their fingers together and held on tight. He left Alex have his hand back, and grabbed onto his shirt again.

Alex started reading out loud, something boring about politics, but his voice sounded nice, and John wanted to be a good boy, so he lay still and listened, holding tight to both his boyfriends so he didn’t drift away on the fuzz in his brain.

-

One taxi ride and a chocolate milk shake later, John was installed on the couch, cuddled up to Laf and letting him feed the milkshake to him with a spoon. Pokey was tucked under his arm, ibuprofen and a glass of water on the coffee table. His face still felt numb, but his brain had started to come back online once they got home, fuzz fading out to a tired alertness.

Alex fired up Netflix, put on Lilo and Stitch, and joined them, nuzzling into their embrace.

“Let me know if you need anything baby and I’ll get it.”

“Thanks Alex.”

John found Alex’s hand in the throw blankets and gave it a squeeze, feeling like the luckiest man alive to have two boyfriends who took such wonderful care of him.


	32. Cause Baby You're Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You're perfect to us, just the way you are" anon prompt for a sad!Laf one shot.

It took a lot to dampen Lafayette’s spirits, but even he wasn’t immune to having one of ‘those’ days.

It had started bad, he’d gotten distracted trying to make breakfast, burnt everything, causing Alex to snap at him as they both scrambled out the door, trying not to be late. By mid-morning, Alex had sent him an apology text that he hadn’t had time to answer. He’d taken this office job a few weeks ago, and it was running him ragged, far more intense than he’d been led to believe it would be.

He didn’t have time to grab lunch either, and went into a meeting at the end of his day flustered and tired.

This was a high profile client, and they got off on the wrong foot immediately.

By the time Laf walked out the door at the end of the day, his confidence was badly shaken. He’d made some honest mistakes that came with being new to the job, and gotten flustered when the client had been less than understanding. His usual charm fell flat, and he fumbled over his words, grammar deteriorating badly as he tried to save himself while the client looked on impassively and poked fun at his English, until a more senior rep had come to his rescue.

He got home in a blur, mentally drained and foggy headed from not eating all day. He was looking forward to a quiet evening at home to re-set, long bath with a face mask, lavender essential oils, and bubble bath, a hot tea, a good book, and then some quality time with his boys.

But first, he just wanted to lie down.

He stepped inside the apartment, put his shoes away and hung up his blazer, then headed through the living room on the way to the bedroom.

“Hey Laf.”

Alex’s voice, lazy and content. He and John lay twined tightly together on the couch, John’s head pillowed on Alex’s chest. They looked so peaceful, so perfect. John asleep, Alex looking not far off, holding each other tight. Normally, the sight would have warmed his heart. Normally, he would have stepped over to give them each a soft kiss, full of love that he got to have them both, and that they loved each other this much in his absence.

Today, it just sent a pang through him. He wanted to wiggle his way between them, be wrapped up in their tight embrace too, but he was the strong one, he was the one who never needed anything. He was steady and reliable, the one they could always count on to be okay.

Except that wasn’t how he felt today.

“Bonjour mon chou.”

Slipped into French without realizing it, and disappeared into the master bedroom. He flopped face down on the bed, arms and legs splayed out like a star fish, and stayed there, letting the heavy wave of absolute defeat roll over him.

“Laf?”

Not even a minute later, and Alex and John crawled onto the bed on either side of him. Laf took a deep breath, didn’t look up, wasn’t in the mood for sex right now but would find a way to rally if that’s what his boys needed…

“Are you okay, Laf?”

John asked, and his hands dug into Laf’s hair, massaging the back of his head gently.

Laf made a soft sound of appreciation.

“Yes mon cher, I am just tired. The day has been long.”

He didn’t lift his head yet, didn’t trust that he could keep the true depth of how defeated and shaken he felt off his face.

“What can we do?”

Alex asked.

Laf shook his head.

“Nothing, mon chou.”

A heavy silence fell over the room, and Laf couldn’t quite bring himself to rally yet.

He heard Alex shift, let him lift up the dead weight of Laf’s arm and lie down under it, and leaned into the gentle brush of Alex’s fingers across his cheek.

“Baby?”

Alex’s voice, gentle and soft. John’s fingers had moved down to the back of his neck, massaging gently, coaxing Laf slowly into relaxing despite himself.

Laf turned his head, eye to eye with Alex on the pillows, watched Alex’s brow furrow with concern.

“What’s wrong Laf?”

Alex stroked his fingers down Laf’s jaw, and he felt John’s fingers stall against his neck for a moment before they picked up their gentle rhythm again, tiny circles over all the tension in Laf’s neck.

“I am struggling, with this new job. I made a mess of things with a big client today, and he was unkind about my lack of experience and my poor English…”

Laf shrugged one shoulder, trying to down play how bad he felt, how tired and defeated and unsure. Of course, both John and Alex seized on it immediately.

“What?! But you’ve only been there a few weeks of course you’re inexperienced, you’re still learning! Your English is fantastic, what the hell, Laf!”

Alex huffed angrily, and Laf couldn’t help the smallest, tired smile. Alex was quick tempered at the best of times, but nothing got him riled up like a perceived threat to John…

…or Laf, apparently.

He felt his heart beginning to warm.

John flattened himself onto Laf’s back, a warm, comforting weight across him, soft lips kissing the back of his neck.

“How could they not love you, Laf? Are they blind? You have so much to offer, don’t let one idiot who needs glasses let you forget it.”

John murmured, softer than Alex’s sharp anger, and just as comforting.

“I am sorry my loves. I don’t mean to be a damp blanket.”

Laf sighed. He hated showing weakness in front of Alex and John. Not because he didn’t trust them, but because it was his job to be strong, to protect them and nurture them and make their lives easier, not harder.

“Hey. Laf, no. You can be whatever you need to be, we’re here for you.”

Alex leaned in for a soft kiss.

“You’re perfect to us, Laf. Just the way you are, and every part of you. You give us so much all the time, let us give back to you.”

John added, and he shoved his nose behind Laf’s ear.

Laf smiled, starting to feel a little bit better.

“What do you need, Laf?”

Alex leaned in for another soft kiss, and Laf felt the tension of his bad day beginning to melt slowly away.

“I would like to take a long bath with my book and a tea, and then perhaps a movie after dinner?”

Alex nodded and sat up, and John rolled off Laf’s back so he could sit up.

“Whatever you need. I’ll get you your tea.”

Alex headed out to the kitchen, was better at tasks than feelings and showed he cared by doing things for Laf and John, like making John’s snack when he felt little, and now, making Laf’s tea for him.

Laf stood and stretched slowly, tossed his clothes on the bed as he undressed. When he was fully undressed, John stood up and hugged him tight from behind. Laf leaned back into him, closed his eyes and just enjoyed the contact for a minute.

“I love you, Laf.”

“I love you too, mon cher. I am so lucky to have you and Alexander.”

He felt John shake his head against his back.

“No, you have it backwards. We’re so lucky to have you, Laf. Don’t you ever forget it.”

Laf turned in John’s arms, bent down and kissed him, long and slow. Said with his kiss what he couldn’t get past the lump in his throat to say in words.

“Thank you, little one.”

He kissed John’s nose, and headed into the bathroom to start his bath.

-

One face mask, a good, long bubble bath, several chapters of his book, and one perfectly made tea later, Laf was starting to feel human again. His stomach growled as he dried off and wrapped himself up in his soft, fluffy robe, the smell of something mouth-watering drifting in from the kitchen.

He emerged from the bedroom and padded into the kitchen.

Couldn’t help but melt at the sight that greeted him. Alex and John perched at the breakfast bar, the table set for three, lights low, candles on. There was a bouquet of fresh wildflowers in the middle of the table, and a bottle of Laf’s favourite wine.

“What did you make, my loves? It smells amazing.”

“Coq au vin.”

Alex answered, beaming, while John crinkled his nose in amusement at the name of the dish.

Laf melted more. French comfort food, complete with a fresh baguette sliced and waiting in a basket on the table.

“Come here, both of you.”

Laf opened his arms, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and care John and Alex had responded to his shaken mood with. They hopped down from the bar stools and folded into his embrace, hugging him back, and he kissed them both, letting them envelope him with love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://www.wildernesswife.com/slow-cooker-coq-au-vin/ - here is a recipe for coq au vin, if you're interested. 
> 
> This is not the exact recipe the boys used since they didn't have time to slow cook it, but when I used to make it I always did it in the slow cooker. This isn't the exact recipe I used either, but it's pretty close! It used to be one of my favourite winter/comfort meals! :) 
> 
> (This is slowly turning into Ninyah's one-shot prompts with a side of cooking blog!)


	33. Insert Cheesy Title Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Did you seriously just wipe your popcorn fingers on me?"

Alex, Laf, and John were all curled up on the couch watching a movie, Alex in the middle, big bowl of popcorn in his lap. Alex had his head resting on Laf’s shoulder, John cuddled close under his arm.

He couldn’t remember the title of the movie, something Laf had picked out because it sounded interesting. Honestly… it wasn’t. But Alex was sitting quietly anyways because John and Laf seemed content, and he was comfortable nestled in with them both.

He picked at the popcorn absently, mind wandering.

He felt John shift a little, beginning to grow restless.

Then John’s hand, absently wiping greasy fingers up Alex’s arm.

Alex sat up and stared at John incredulously.

“Did you seriously just wipe your popcorn fingers on me?”

John blushed, and grinned. He probably hadn’t even realized he’d done it.

“Uh. Yes?”

He reached over and grabbed another handful of popcorn, shoved it in his mouth.

“Gross!”

Alex griped. Picked up a piece of popcorn and pelted it at John.

John raised his arm in defense, laughing as he swallowed his mouthful.

“Hey!”

He wiggled his greasy fingers at Alex, and Alex laughed, and threw another piece of popcorn.

John retaliated by grabbing a handful and throwing them all at Alex. 

“Must you, little one?”

Laf protested, some of the popcorn winding up in his hair and lap.

“Alex started it!”

John chirped, much to Alex’s indignation since John had been the one to wipe his greasy popcorn fingers all over Alex, not the other way around.

“Oh you wanna go!?”

Alex shoved the bowl into Laf’s lap and knocked John off the couch, landing on top of him. He could hear Laf’s low chuckle from the couch, and the movie cut off abruptly.

After a brief scuffle on the floor, Alex managed to get on top of John, and he snatched John by the wrist, intending to smear the offending fingers over John’s face.

Thought better of it with a wicked grin.

He listened to John’s sharp intake of breath as he sucked one salty, buttery finger into his mouth, tongue lapping at the soft skin. He felt the change in John’s body below him immediately, playful resistance melting into breathless liquid, splayed out on the floor. 

“Alex.”

John whined, voice high and tight. 

Alex grinned, pulled off John’s finger with a drag of teeth and tongue. Nipped the soft pad at the tip, and looked up at John as he took the next finger in his mouth. Bit down with a low growl that had John squirming beneath him, eyes heavy lidded and focussed on Alex. 

From the couch, Laf made a low sound of approval. 

Alex teased his tongue over the tip of John’s finger, sucked it into his mouth and hummed with satisfaction at the breathy moan he dragged from John’s lips. 

“Mon chou, he is being awfully naughty, wiping his dirty popcorn fingers on you… blaming you for something he started… throwing popcorn and getting it everywhere… dirty, even… what are you going to do with him?”

The low heat in Laf’s voice just amped the mood higher. Alex bit down again, gentle, a threat, and John panted and squirmed, pliant and loose under him. 

Alex pulled off his finger, scrape of teeth and tight sucking lips. He considered John, flushed cheeks and cock straining in his jeans, then turned his head to share a heated glance with Laf, grinning darkly. 

“I know just the thing.”


	34. If My Heart Could Find A Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I cheated and did two requests in one here.
> 
> 1) Super cuddly Alex & John  
> 2) Possessive Alex over John, & Laf asking permission to join them

John lay sprawled on the couch on his stomach, laptop open on the coffee table, not really working so much as scrolling through internet tabs, old photos, and occasionally staring at the designs he needed to submit tomorrow. They were done, and he knew he was just nitpicking at this point, reluctant to really call it done because as soon as he did he would notice five hundred little things that bothered him…

He lifted his head at the sound of the door opening, smiled at Alex and didn’t move from where he was. 

“Hey babygirl.”

Instead of answering, Alex walked over and reached out his hands. 

Blinking in surprise, John sat up slowly, stretched, and let Alex pull him to his feet. There was something heavy and unspeakable in the air between them, and anything John would have said evaporated on his tongue in the face of it. 

He let Alex lead him back to their bedroom and push him down on the bed, lay splayed out on his back, sweatpants low on his hips, staring up at Alex as he tugged his shirt off over his head and kicked off his jeans. 

“Baby?”

He wasn’t sure where this was going, what Alex wanted, what had put him in this mood… and what this mood even was.

Then Alex was on the bed, half on top of John on his belly, and John shifted so Alex could slide one leg between his and cuddle in close. When Alex didn't make any move beyond that, just settled in with a happy sigh, John tilted his head, confused. 

“…are you okay?”

John twisted to try to look at Alex, and received a kiss on his nose and a soft smile. Alex’s face was soft, expression open and full of love and affection. John crinkled his nose and grinned.

“What, I can’t cuddle my boyfriend without being not okay?”

Alex huffed, and tugged gently at one of John’s curls.

John laughed and shook his head, lifted his hand and worked Alex’s hair free of its ponytail so it spilled messy around his handsome face. 

“You can do whatever you want, I just wasn’t expecting it.”

John let his eyes flutter closed as Alex stroked a gentle hand down his side and pressed a kiss to his chest, then rested his head there, over John’s heart beat. 

“Not everything is about sex, Laurens.”

Alex muttered, tone teasing. 

John laughed, shaking his head, and ran his fingers through Alex’s hair.

“Sure it’s not, babygirl.”

He teased back, eyes still closed, relaxing into the moment. He looped his arm loosely over Alex’s hips and sighed, overwhelmed with gratitude for the hundred thousandth time that he’d done something right in life to end up right here, stretched out under Alex, Laf due to arrive home any moment, enveloped in love and a place he truly belonged. 

He’d never thought his heart would find a home. 

Alex’s fingertips tapped lightly across his stomach, just this side of tickling, skating over the constellations of freckles that spanned John’s tanned skin. 

They lay in silence for a long moment, John’s heart beating against Alex’s ear, possession heavy and wordless in the way Alex was draped over him. John had to check his body’s instinctive reaction at the very thought. Alex was being so sweet, and he didn’t want to ruin the moment. 

“What did I do to deserve you in my life?”

Alex shifted, tilting his head to look up at John. 

John craned his neck to look down at Alex, shook his head and squeezed his arm tighter around Alex’s waist. 

“I was just thinking the same thing…”

If he had to go through every hard moment of his life again to get to just this one soft one, well. 

He’d do it again every single time.

“Love you.”

Alex whispered. It sent a thrill through John’s body, made his heart skip a beat, never ever ever got old. John wriggled down so they were face to face and pressed a slow, sweet kiss to Alex’s mouth.

“Love you back.”

He whispered into the kiss. 

Alex smiled, leaned in to press their foreheads together, and they stayed like that, trading kisses back and forth, hands stroking lazily over each other’s bodies, just touching, nothing but love between them. 

John lost track of time, lost in Alex’s affection, drifting on a hazy glow of kisses and love, so when Laf cleared his throat from the bedroom doorway, John jumped, startled.

Alex shifted, twisting to look at Laf, his body draped even more thoroughly over John’s.

“…hello, my loves.”

Laf was leaning against the door frame, arms folded loosely across his chest, watching them with a small smile on his face.

“May I join you? Alexander?”

John watched Laf defer to Alex, noting his possessive body language and the way he was practically glued to John. It made John feel wanted, loved, a warm buzz of belonging right in the center of him that was like nothing he had ever felt before. 

Alex hesitated a moment, then nodded. He didn’t shift off of John until Laf was undressed and crawling onto the bed too. 

“How are the two most wonderful men on the planet?”

Laf asked, kissing first Alex, then John hello as he settled in on the other side of John, completing their circle. 

John’s heart swelled with love and he felt wanted, felt cherished, felt like he had finally, finally come home.


	35. Death By Brain Explosion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you @missjo for the title and all the help with this short, you are the best.

Alex started to feel shitty a couple of hours before his work day ended. His mind felt sluggish, words blurring and tripping over each other in his head, dull ache throbbing through his brain. 

It got worse as the day went on, until he caved and ordered an Uber to get home instead of taking the subway, cost be damned. 

The car ride passed in a blur of pain, the throbbing growing stronger with every passing moment, stomach rolling with nausea. He swallowed rapidly, trying desperately not to puke in the Uber. Closing his eyes brought no relief. Everything was too bright, too loud as the world tried to force its way inside his pounding head. 

Alex got up the elevator somehow, forced breathing through his nose, the elevator ride only making him dizzier. 

He was trembling with exhaustion by the time the elevator stopped, the ‘ding’ of the doors opening sending another stab of pain lancing through his head. He could barely see through the dizziness, stumbled out of the elevator and somehow made it to the door. Fumbled for his keys. Dropped them. Could have cried. 

He slumped to the floor and stuffed his head between his knees, breathing hard, keys on the ground in front of him. 

Picking them up and standing back up seemed insurmountably hard.

The door swung open.

“Mon chou? Mon chou! I heard you drop your keys, and then you did not come inside. What has happened!?”

There was Laf, dropping to his knees next to Alex, reaching for him with worried hands.

Alex swallowed hard, whimpered at the sound of Laf’s voice and panted against the pain and nausea.

“Head. Hurts.”

He choked out, eyes closed, the pain growing worse by the second.

“May I carry you inside?”

Laf asked in a whisper, picking up Alex’s keys and setting them down inside the door. 

Alex nodded. Held his breath when Laf carefully picked him up, and buried his face into Laf’s neck while he was carried inside. 

“TV off, John.”

Laf spoke as quietly as he could, and it still made Alex wince. He went weak with relief when the TV clicked off, replaced with blessed, blessed silence. John started to speak and Laf made a soft shushing sound. 

Alex curled up in a ball when Laf placed him gently on the bed, arms up over his head like maybe he could keep his brain from trying to exit through his skull that way. 

“Alex?”

John asked, voice quiet, right next to his head. 

Alex opened one eye carefully to find that Laf had drawn the blinds closed tight, darkness enveloping the room. 

Wordlessly, John held out a glass of water and some pain pills, brow furrowed with worry. 

Alex struggled up to take them, then slumped back down, would have done just about anything to make the pain go away. 

A cool, wet cloth settled over his eyes and forehead, and it didn’t make the pain go away but it certainly helped, relief palpable enough to bring tears to his eyes and a lump to his throat. 

“Brought you a puke bowl.”

John whispered, and settled carefully on the bed next to Alex. 

“Thanks.”

Alex responded, voice hoarse, head filled with nothing but pain, pain pain. 

Silence, blessed, blessed silence, descended on the room again. Laf reappeared, gave Alex’s hand a gentle squeeze, and stretched across the foot of the bed. 

“You guys… don’t… have to stay.”

Alex gritted the words out from between clenched teeth, wishing the slow creep of death via brain explosion would hurry the fuck up. 

John made a soft sound of disagreement, and Laf patted his ankle.

Neither moved to get up and leave him alone with his pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note: I have never experienced a migraine in my life so I did my best here.


	36. Don't Look At My Boyfriend.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Blood, fighting. 
> 
> Anon request for Alex getting in a bar fight. Thank you for the request!! <3 
> 
> My brain blanked on a title and I need to go to bed, so.

Alex wouldn’t remember later what had started it. 

All he knew was that someone said something, and knocked into him in the crowded, sweaty, bar, and it had been one thing too many. He’d seen the way this guy had been smirking over at them all night, eyes lingering on John in a way that was nothing short of lewd. He’d seen the way he’d tried to box John in at the bar, crowding into his space, had seen John’s discomfort but by the time he’d gotten through the crowd, John had gotten himself away and was headed back towards him and Laf. 

His crass words on top of that?

Too much. 

So Alex had let fly with his fists, no style, all fury. He didn’t fight with finesse but he did fight with everything he had. 

Still, he was out of his depth and the element of surprise only lasted a moment. The fight was a blur of rage and sweat and shouting, fists flying. Someone landed a good punch to Alex’s face and he felt blood spill hot down his chin, and then his arm was hauled behind him and a fist landed in his gut, again, and again-

He was hauled abruptly away and thrown unceremoniously out the door.

Landed in a heap on the sidewalk, scraped hands and knees and jaw where he fell, teeth clacking together. 

He groaned and pulled himself to his hands and knees, head spinning from blows and alcohol. 

“Alexander!”

Laf and John appeared as if out of nowhere, one on each side of him, hands under his arms, helped him carefully up. 

“Shit, Alex, your face!”

John reached out, touched Alex’s bleeding lip. Alex hissed and jerked his head away, groaned when the world spun. He was all over bruised and smarting, wasn’t sure where one hurt ended and the next began. 

“Tsk, mon chou. Do not pick fights with people who are bigger than you. Let’s get you home.”

Lafayette’s arm held Alex steady and he swayed a little, legs splayed out for balance, world spinny and blurry. 

John hailed a cab and they bundled Alex in. He hissed again at the pain, swore under his breath when John accidentally knocked into a bruise, still ready for a fight. 

Laf pressed a wad of napkins to his face and Alex jerked away. 

“Mon chou hold still you cannot bleed all over the cab. What has gotten into you!?”

A wave of dizziness washed over Alex and he let his head drop to John’s shoulder, Laf’s had with the wad of napkins over his face so that when he answered his words were muffled.

“He _looked_ at _John_ , Laf.”

John stifled a short laugh, couldn’t help himself, and rubbed his hand down Alex’s leg as if soothing a skittish horse. 

Laf rolled his eyes and sat back, only his hand keeping the napkins to Alex’s face.

“Mon dieu.”

Alex closed his eyes and didn’t respond, the city lights too much for him. His head swam, the alcohol catching up with him. He was drunker than he’d thought, and it was catching up with him now that the adrenaline was ebbing away. 

Alex fell against Laf when they got out of the cab, kept upright only by his and John’s hands catching him. Swayed between them up the elevator and into the apartment. Laf switched on the light in their front entranceway and Alex blinked in the sudden brightness. 

Realized his hands were scraped and full of tiny pieces of dirt and gravel, and held them out to Laf with a pouty lower lip. 

“Yes, mon chou. I am aware. Go with John to the bathroom and I’ll come in a moment to clean you up.”

Alex pouted more at the annoyance in Laf’s voice, but Laf was unaffected. 

“Come on baby girl.”

John took his wrist carefully, and Alex followed behind him to the bathroom.

“Okay. What hurts?”

Alex stood in the middle of the bathroom and shrugged. Gestured vaguely at his whole body, and sat down on the edge of the tub. 

John shook his head, and ran a washcloth under warm water.

“Get your shirt off so we can have a look, then.”

Alex stripped his shirt off obediently and dropped it on the floor, let his head fall forwards, and peered at John through his hair. His head pounded in the bright lights, blood dripping from his nose and chin onto his jeans. 

“Alex!”

Laf’s startled voice from the bathroom doorway, tight with worry. 

Alex let his head loll to the side and looked up at Laf.

“What?”

“Your stomach!”

He knelt beside the tub, reached out gently towards the dark bruising on Alex’s stomach, and changed his mind. 

“Shit. Mon chou, you could have been so badly hurt…”

John stepped over too, cupped Alex’s chin and lifted his head, carefully cleaned the blood from his face with a warm washcloth. Alex’s chin and split lip smarted, and he winced but didn’t pull away. 

“There, that’s better. Hands?”

Alex offered his hands up obediently, and hissed in pain when John cleaned the scrapes up. 

“Okay. Bed time.”

Laf helped him up and back into the bedroom, helped him out of his pants, pulled his hair back into a French braid. 

“Mon chou, I do not like this.”

He pressed a kiss to the back of Alex’s shoulder, and sighed. 

Mollified, Alex turned and hugged Laf carefully.

“I’m sorry. I just. He _looked_ at John.”

He leaned his head against Laf’s chest and closed his eyes, felt the room sway and dip.

John returned with a glass of water, an ice pack, and some painkillers. Pressed the pills into Alex’s hand and watched him drink the water. Kissed his forehead gently. 

“I can defend myself you know.”

John grinned. 

Alex shook his head.

“That’s what boyfriends are for.”

-

Later, Alex grumbled about the humiliation of taking a piss while Laf watched, claiming he didn’t trust Alex to say something if he started peeing blood. Softened a little when Laf kissed his forehead after and helped him back into bed, then settled on the other side of John.

“Please, Alexander. No more picking fights.”

“But he _looked_ at John!”


	37. Drunk On Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> anon prompt for "I Don't Speak French"
> 
> Many many many thanks to Majinie for the French translations.

It was rare that John came home o an empty house. He set his bag down and kicked off his shoes, then shot a quick text to Laf. He knew Alex had meetings until late tonight, but Laf should have been home. 

Settling his phone down, John set to work making dinner. He put some music on and dug through the fridge for a few ingredients; fish sauce, soy sauce, shrimp, and some vegetables…

He didn’t get far, just started whisking together ingredients for a sauce, when the door flew open and Laf stumbled through. 

“Salut, John! Mon couer, l’amour de ma vie!” He weaved into the kitchen with his arms wide, drunken grin plastered on his face. 

“Laf close the door,” John laughed. 

Laf stopped and pouted spectacularly. 

“Je te dis que tu es l’amour de ma vie et tu me dis de fermer le porte,” he turned and stumbled back to the door, closed it with a slam, and spun back around. 

“What did you do today, Laf?” John pushed his bowl and whisk back a safe distance on the counter and stepped toward Laf. 

“Tue s la lumiere de ma vie, mon petit,” Laf stumbled against John, wrapped his arms tight around him, and smothered him with sloppy kisses until John was laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe. 

“Lafayette! Why are you drunk?!”

“Je suis ivre d’amour.”

“Laf, I don’t speak French!” John tried unsuccessfully to squirm out of Laf’s embrace, laughing too hard to get away. 

“Cela n’a pas d’importance, l’amour ne connait pas des langues,” Laf threw his arms wide, and John took the opportunity to retreat to safety. He poured Laf a glass of water and pressed it into his hand. 

Laf pouted again, but drank the water anyways. 

“I was going to make drunken noodles but would you rather order pizza?” The thought of trying to wrangle Laf and cook dinner was more than he wanted to handle at once without Alex’s help. 

“Je t’aurai pour le diner,” Laf grabbed John again, arms around his waist, and kissed his neck. 

John laughed, tried ineffectively to bat Laf away. 

Laf just held on tighter, dropped his hand to grope John’s cock through his jeans. 

“Lafayette! Quit it!” John managed to wriggle away and grab his phone. He stuck the bowl of sauce back in the fridge, dodged Lag’s grabby hands, and fled to the living room. “Come on Laf! I’m ordering pizza!” John flopped on the couch and ordered online, thanking whatever higher power might be listening that modern technology enabled him to take care of dinner so easily, so that he could more effectively look after his drunk boyfriend. 

Laf sprawled on top of him, nuzzled at his neck. 

“J’taime,” He murmured against John’s skin. 

John smiled, and kissed the side of Laf’s head. 

“I love you too, you crazy Frenchman,” John sighed, and tugged Laf’s hand down from trying to worm up his shirt. 

-

By the time Alex got home, there were pizza boxed strewn across the coffee table, John had a plastic bowl on the floor by his feet just in case, and Laf was passed out across his lap, snoring softly.

“What happened to him?” Alex leaned down and kissed John hello, then snagged himself a cold piece of pizza.

“Not a clue,” John shrugged, glad Alex was home too. 

-  
Translations (Thanks Majinie!!!!)  
“Hello, John! My heart, the love of my life!”  
“I tell you you are the love of my life and you tell me to close the door,”  
“You are the light of my life, little one,”  
“I am drunk on love, mon cher!”  
“It doesn’t matter, love knows no language!”  
“I will have you for dinner,”  
“I love you”


	38. Slow Down, Breathe A Minute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt: "I know you"
> 
> this one is really short u.u

A knock at the door startled Alex out of his focus. He looked up and there was Laf in his office doorway bearing coffee, takeout, and a million watt smile. 

“Bonjour, mon chou. I brought you lunch!” Laf waltzed in and plopped down in the free chair on the opposite side of Alex’s desk. 

“My hero,” Alex grinned, taking his coffee from Laf and leaning in for a kiss. 

“I know you, Alexander, you would not eat today if I did not bring you lunch,” Laf pushed a container at Alex. 

Alex popped it open and dug into the pad thai with gusto, hadn’t realized he was starving until the first bite hit his tongue. 

“Thanks Laf,” Alex grinned. He popped his shoes off and stuck his feet in Laf’s lap. 

Laf’s hand dropped below the desk to rub Alex’s socked foot, knuckles rolling along the arch.

“Self preservation, mon chou. I do not want you grumpy when you get home,” Laf grinned cheekily through bites of his cashew chicken, and Alex stuck his tongue out in response. 

Laf continued to rub Alex’s feet as they ate, chatting idly, Alex relaxing slowly with the change from his breakneck pace. 

When Laf finished, he stood up and came around Alex’s desk, let his hands settle on Alex’s shoulders. He rubbed, fingers digging into spots of tension until Alex moaned and leaned back, eyes closing for a minute. 

Laf stroked one hand down Alex’s chest and stomach and palmed his cock teasingly. 

“Don’t work late, mon chou,” he whispered in Alex’s ear, sending a shiver down his spine. 

“Mmm, okay,” Alex canted his hips up, pushing his cock into Laf’s hand. 

Laf tutted and straightened. 

“You are at work, Alexander,” he chided. 

“You started it,” Alex griped. Received a flick to the back of the head for his trouble. 

“Behave,” Laf leaned in for a kiss goodbye, and Alex smiled, returning to his work with renewed vigor, relaxed from the break and spurred on by the promise of things to come at home tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to put this in the notes on the previous chapter so here is the recipe for the drunken noodles that John was going to make (he subbed shrimp for tofu - any protein works)
> 
> http://www.jocooks.com/main-courses/vegeterian/tofu-drunken-noodles/


	39. You're The Healing Hand Where It Used To Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> anon prompt for "Help me help you" 
> 
> title from "HOLY" by FGL

John groaned in frustration as his hand cramped up again. He was trying to wrap up his current phase of his most recent project, and had been putting in longer hours, time spent drawing or working at the computer, and his hand had been trying to call it quits for the past couple of hours. He knew it was time to stop, but he was so close to being done, and just wanted to see the back of this project. 

He flexed his hand and tried again. Got five more minutes in before his hand cramped and he swore under his breath. 

“John? Maybe time for a break?” Alex looked up from where he lay at the other end of the couch, reading. 

“I’m fine,” John snapped, aching hand and stress making him short tempered. 

Alex shrugged and returned to his book. 

John tried again, barely got anywhere before his hand cramped up again. 

Alex huffed and got up, walking into the kitchen.

John stretched his hand for a moment, and tried again. His hand hurt, he was tired, he wanted to stop.

“Baby. You need to take a break.” Alex reappeared, sat back down on the other end of the couch.

“I’m fine!” John reached for his mouse only to have Alex get there first and pull the whole laptop away. 

“You are not.”

John watched Alex hit ‘save’ on his project, shut the laptop, and set it aside. 

“Come here babe. Help me help you. Your hand needs a rest.” Alex opened his arms, and John craled over, defeated. 

He settled with his back to Alex’s chest and flexed his aching hand, wincing. 

Alex’s hands took John’s sore on and started massaging gently, thumbs and fingers working into all the spots of tightness and pain. 

“You’re pushing yourself too hard baby.” Alex kissed the side of his head, and John snorted. 

“That’s rich, coming from you,” he teased, leaning back against Alex’s chest. 

“Do as I say, not as I do,” Alex retorted, tweaking John’s nose teasingly. 

He rubbed down John’s fingers one by one, firm pressure that felt amazing on the aching joints. 

John closed his eyes and turned his head, nosed under Alex’s chin and sighed. 

“I brought you a snack.” Alex reached across John and settled a bowl into John’s lap, kissed his forehead. 

John opened his eyes again and grinned, cheez-its with a chocolate chip cookie on top. Alex knew him well. 

He dug in with his free hand, relaxed now that Alex had forced him to take a break. 

“Thanks baby girl.” John reached up and poked a cheez-it into John’s mouth. 

Alex laughed and ate the cheez-it, then kissed John’s head again.

“I can’t have your hands out of commission, what if I need a hand job?” Alex teased. 

John choked on a laugh and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. 

“You can’t just be sweet for two seconds?”

“Nope.” Alex reached across John again to fire up Netflix, and pressed an ice pack to John’s sore hand.


	40. Catch Me When I Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> anon request: "Could u do a something where laflams are at a park and John falls and breaks his arm and so they go get it check out and stuff and fluff"
> 
> I feel like I should apologize to Laf for continuing to seriously injure John right in front of him.

It was a warm, early summer Saturday like any other. John couldn’t help but smile, walking through Central Park with Alex and Laf on either side of him. 

It all went South when they came across a child, crying like the world was ending, and his frazzled mother trying in vain to calm him. 

Stuck high in the tree, a red balloon. 

“Hang on, I’ll get it!” John grinned, didn’t think twice about it despite both Laf and Alex protesting. He jumped and caught the lowest tree branch, hauled himself up. He hadn’t climbed a tree in years. 

He kept going, up and up, until he could just reach the tail end of the balloon’s string. The branch wobbled as he stretched for it, just a little further and he’d have it –

He heard Alex shout his name, stretched just a little farther and snagged the balloon string between his fingers-

A deafening crack, and the branch dropped out from under him and he was falling. 

Landed with a sickening crack, balloon still in his hand, and then there was just pain, deep and all encompassing. His stomach rolled and he curled up, clutched his arm to his chest. 

“Ow, ow, fuck, shit, owwwww….” It was hard to breathe, punched out breaths somehow getting out past the pain. 

Alex and Laf were there, reaching out, talking over each other so fast that John couldn’t track it through the pain. 

“Where does it hurt, John?”

“My arm…” He tried to take deep breaths, tried to rein it in. Sat up with Laf’s help and held out the balloon with his good hand, offering it back to the kid, who was standing with his mom and looking horrified. 

-

Lay with his head in Laf’s lap in the emergency room while Alex hounded the staff, trying to get them to get John in quicker, or at least get him some pain meds, god dammit, until Laf snapped at him to cut it out.

-

Settled at home with his arm in a green cast, head pillowed on Alex’s lap now because both he and Laf were fed up with Alex’s fretting.

Felt better with the arm set and pain meds in his system. 

Laf bustled around in the kitchen, preparing dinner, muttering to himself in distressed French. 

“Alex,” John whined. 

“What is it baby?” Alex looked down, fingers stilling in John’s hair. 

John tipped his chin up, silently asking for kisses. 

Alex laughed and shook his head, but leaned down anyways, pressed a soft kiss to John’s lips. 

“Just had to go and play hero, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” John grinned sheepishly. 

“Next time, mon cher, please think of Alexander and I before you go breaking your bones. I am not sure I will recover from the stress.” Laf walked back over, tray in his hands with supper. 

“Sorry Laf.” John sat up carefully, leaned against Alex to make room for Laf on the couch.


End file.
